Beyond Civil War
by Mystic Lady Fae
Summary: A collection of short stories involving Steve and Adena adjusting to their new lives in Wakanda, and dealing with Adena's pregnancy. Some will be holiday stories, too. Other characters include Bucky and Anna, as well as several of the other Avengers.
1. Weddings and Reconnections

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing associated with _**Marvel, Captain America, the Avengers, etc**_. Only original characters and ideas are mine.

AN: Here it is: Bucky and Anna's wedding! Well, sort of; it's got a lot of other stuff happening, but I do hope everyone enjoys it. Please be kind and review? Thanks!

 **Weddings and Reconnections : **

"Adena, are you okay in there?" Anna called through the door to her cousin.

There was the briefest sound of someone gagging, and the toilet flushing. This was followed by the sink turning on, and someone gurgling and spitting, before Adena came out, pale as the wall plaster. Still, she managed a weak smile as they made their way back to the kitchen.

"Sorry," Adena apologized as she pressed a damp towel against her neck. "I wish I knew why they called it 'morning sickness' when it lasts all day."

Anna smiled and led her to the kitchen, where Bucky was setting a bowl of clear broth and a plate of crackers on the table. Those two foods were the only things Adena was able to keep down.

The soup was actually a very special recipe. It came straight from the cooks at the King's Palace, who had been ordered to make a pot of it every day, to be delivered to the Rogers' and to Bucky and Anna's house every day. Apparently there were special herbs mixed into the broth, to help with the nausea, and many Queens and Princesses of Wakanda had eaten the broth during their pregnancies. Since it seemed to be working, Adena wasn't going to argue over how inconvenient it was, having it delivered every day.

Seeing the soup, Adena's weak smile changed into a stronger, genuine one. "Thanks, Bucky."

He shrugged and smiled back as he pulled a chair out for her. "Hey, you're the one who's planning our wedding while pregnant. Trust me, I'm going to owe you long after we're married."

Anna laughed and took a seat beside her cousin, beyond thrilled that Adena was going to finally be a mom. Adena was the oldest of the grandkids, and she had always looked out for her younger cousins. All of their aunts claimed that Adena would be a natural mother, and Anna agreed with them.

' _She's managed to get through kidnappings by demi-gods, alien invasions, HYDRA trying to kill her and her husband, and somehow managed to keep a group of superheroes on the same page_ ,' Anna thought with a smile. ' _This kid is going to turn out great; no doubt about it_.'

"Where's Steve today?" Bucky asked, taking a seat to Anna's right.

Adena sighed. "Tony called again. He wanted to talk to Steve, but I'm guessing it's going to turn into another shouting match over the Accords. The two of them are so set in their ways, and the lawyers are trying to get them both what they want, but it's hard, especially with the world governments and their demands."

Anna snorted as Bucky rose and headed for the stove, which had a kettle heating. "You'd think the world leaders would be more understanding. I mean, it's the Avengers that put their lives on the line, not them! I'll bet they'd sing a different story if you put them in front of an alien army, or a squad of HYDRA fighters."

Ever the gentleman, Bucky served the two women first, putting cups of hot mint tea in front of them, along with a bowl of sugar cubes and a small pitcher of milk. Mint tea was the other thing Adena was able to keep down.

"Well, politicians will be politicians," Adena sarcastically remarked as she dropped three cubes into her tea. "And Steve didn't want to risk upsetting me or the baby, so he told me to come here and help with the wedding plans, because he thought it would be more fun."

She grinned. "I wanted to do this anyway, but it would have been nice to see how things stood, with the Accords."

Bucky looked a bit doubtful as he retook his seat, sipping his own drink: milk flavored with chocolate syrup. It was something Anna had introduced him to here in Wakanda, and it had quickly become a favorite of his (especially since he could add as much chocolate as he wanted).

"Should he really be thinking about upsetting the baby?" he asked, eyes straying towards Adena's waistline. "I mean, it's a bit early, isn't it?"

The mother-to-be rolled her eyes. "At this point, I don't think the baby is more than an inch long," she replied. "But Steve's always been protective of me, and now that I'm pregnant, he's worse, since he has _two_ of us to worry about now."

"And that's why I'm going to distract you," Anna grinned, clapping her hands excitedly. "Bucky, the book, please."

He nodded and went to a nearby desk, pulling out a drawer to retrieve the thick book that Anna had been working on since he'd propose to her. It was full of fabric samples, reception photos that she'd cut from wedding magazines, and the ever-growing guest list.

As she ran her fingers over the cover, Anna smiled. The day Bucky had proposed was forever in her memories. He hadn't set up a huge, romantic night out, or filled their house with roses, like other men did. Oh, he'd probably _wanted_ to, but he knew that would attract unwanted attention from SHIELD.

No, her sweet man had simply pulled up one of her favorite movies on the television, _The Princess Bride_ , covered them with a warm blanket, and waited until her favorite scene played out: At the close of the film, just as Wesley and Buttercup shared their Perfect Kiss, Anna sighed and snuggled against Bucky's shoulder, just as she always did whenever they watched the film together.

That was when the ring box appeared in his hand, startling her so much that she gasped and covered her mouth in shock.

Bucky wasn't the sort to give any kind of speech, and that night, he certainly didn't need to. Anna had seen the love and hope in his blue eyes, and melted. Echoing the end of the movie, she took the ring, put it on, and gave her beloved a Kiss.

Her memories were broken by Adena excusing herself for the bathroom once again.

* * *

"So, we've got the cake flavor, the icing, and the decorations," Adena said, fanning herself a little.

Anna gave her a sympathetic look and carefully aimed the desk fan she'd set up. The climate of Wakanda was not mixing well with her cousin's pregnancy.

"T'Challa says we can use the Palace, if we want to," Bucky said, eying the guest list.

"But will anyone in the family make it?" Anna asked. "I mean, we _have_ been branded traitors and fugitives by the US government."

Adena shrugged. "I'm sure Coulson or T'Challa will find a way. But if both of them work _together_ , getting your folks here for the wedding might be doable."

"Maybe, maybe not," said a voice from the entryway of the kitchen.

Bucky tensed, but Anna put him at ease with a touch on his arm. Since they were on Palace grounds, they also had one of the best security systems ever made. Besides the King, the only people who had access to their home were the Rogers' and a few of the King's most trusted people.

Sure enough, Steve stepped into the room and immediately went to his wife's side. Adena was still a bit pale, but she perked up a little as Steve took a seat and put his arm around her.

"Are you okay?" he asked, eying her up and down. "The morning sickness getting to you?"

Adena smiled and assured him that she was fine, and the morning sickness was a normal part of her pregnancy. "Now, what were you saying about getting Anna's family here for their wedding? I thought you were talking with Tony."

Sighing, Steve accepted a cup of tea that Bucky had hurried to pour for him. "I was, but he got another call and had to go. Before he did, though, Tony told me that some of the other nations are being a bit stubborn about the new version of the Accords, so it'll be a while before we're able to leave Wakanda."

Anna sighed. "So, I guess that means we'll have to postpone the wedding. I don't want to get married without my parents there."

Bucky looked ready to protest, but a glare from Anna silenced him. He knew that there was one thing she was set on, and that was having her parents witness her get married to the man she loved.

The harsh sound of someone trying not to gag turned everyone's attention towards Adena, who was looking pale again. Miraculously, it had been a couple hours since her last visit to the bathroom, and Anna was full of sympathy for her cousin's situation.

"I'm okay," Adena hastily assured them, giving them a small smile, in spite of her nausea. "A bit queasy, but I'm okay."

Steve looked ready to sweep her up in his arms and carry her home, but everyone, including him, knew that would be a bad move. ' _First, it might make her vomit all over him_.' Anna couldn't help smiling to herself as she pictured that image. ' _Second, it would really piss her off. She hates it when he gets that protective of her_.'

"So, I guess that means we can postpone the planning," Anna said, distracting everyone from her poor relation. "Since we have no idea when or how to get my folks over for the ceremony, there's no need to panic over this stuff now."

Adena sighed and sat back in her chair. "Okay, but sleep on it for a couple days, while I try and pull a few strings?"

Since she knew that her cousin had many friends and contacts in many places, Anna reluctantly agreed to take a break while Adena went to work on her behalf.

* * *

Three days later, the phone rang, and on the other end a cheerful voice lifted Anna's spirits right up.

"I did it!" Adena chirped through the phone. "I found a way to get your parents to see the ceremony!"

Anna nearly collapsed in shock. "What?" she yelped, wondering if she'd heard right.

"Well, they won't physically be there in person, but they'll at least be able to see it live," Adena amended, sounding a bit apologetic. "Would that work?"

That took a moment. "So, it'll basically be a live streaming event," Anna deadpanned, feeling disappointed.

"Yeah, basically," Adena confirmed, her tone changing from optimistic to worried. "I know it's not what you want, but given the circumstances, it's either this, or wait either months or years before you and Bucky get married."

It was a bit of a bind. Anna knew that she loved Bucky, and that she wanted to marry him. The question was whether or not she wanted to wait, possibly indefinitely, to 'make it official.'

The answer was immediate: no, she didn't.

Sighing, Anna closed her eyes. "Okay, how do we do it?"

* * *

"I still can't believe it!" Aunt Christine wept, dabbing her eyes and blowing her nose. "My baby is getting married!"

"I still don't know if I like this," Uncle David grumbled from behind her. "Reformed or not, I don't like the idea of my little girl marrying this guy."

Rolling my eyes, I went over to the hologram images of my aunt and uncle and smiled. "Don't worry," I assured them. "Bucky loves Anna more than anything, and he'll do everything possible to keep her safe."

They were still put-out about their daughter being wanted by the US government, but they didn't blame her for that. And since the talks about the Accords were well underway, things were slowly starting to look up. We probably wouldn't be allowed to go back to our old lives for a while, though, and Anna clearly didn't want to wait too long to start a married life with Bucky.

"I still can't get over this technology," Uncle David commented, looking around. "It's crazy!"

I couldn't see what he was looking at, of course. My aunt and uncle were currently in a secret SHIELD base, surrounded by the kind of technology online gamers and teens only dreamed about. The tech involved allowed a live, hologram-type image of them to be sent here in Wakanda, so that they could be somewhat involved in Anna's wedding.

What really helped was the fact that Wakanda was so advanced, technologically. SHIELD had all kinds of gadgets, but ninety percent of it was beyond anything the rest of the world had –except for Wakanda.

' _At that point, it really helps to be on a first-name basis with a King and the Director of SHIELD_ ,' I thought with a small smile.

Once I had those two particularly powerful people on the phone, things had moved forward pretty quickly. Phil agreed to smuggle Anna's parents to a SHIELD facility, under the pretense of them going on vacation to a town nearby.

"After that, it'll be child's play to lose whatever tails Secretary Ross has following them," Phil said, nonchalantly. "We'll get them to a base on the day before the wedding, and start streaming their images live."

T'Challa was more than happy to help out with the situation, offering to set up the technology wherever Anna wanted to hold the ceremony. She'd suggested a large, open-air area attached to a small meeting area. It was a beautiful place, with pillars that had vines of exotic flowers growing on them. The necessary image-creating machines had been set up on each pillar, positioned so that it would give the illusion that Anna's parents were standing at the altar. Cameras were also set up, so that it could be broadcasted to the SHIELD base, recreating the wedding ceremony in that location, so they could experience it.

The setting itself was beautiful and simple. A canopy of white material had been erected, in case of rain (it _was_ a tropical country, after all), and there were huge vases of flowers lining the edge of the area. A few rows of chairs had been set up on each side, but they were mostly for show, since the number of guests and witnesses barely equaled ten people. Cyan, Sam, Wanda, Pietro, Steve and myself, as well as T'Challa, were all in attendance.

Surprisingly, Pepper was here, too; Tony and the rest of the Avengers couldn't be here, but they had sent Pepper to represent them.

Officially, Pepper was here to negotiate the possibility of opening a branch of Stark Industries in Wakanda. Some of the world's nations might (for now) still consider Steve a traitor and criminal, but they weren't about to upset a major corporate CEO. In some countries, losing their branch of Stark Industries would cause economic problems, so they'd had no choice but to let Pepper fly to Wakanda, instead of detaining or forbidding her.

Of course, T'Challa had no intention of letting Tony get his hands on any Wakandan technology, or open a branch of the company in the African nation. But he was happy to keep the charade going, since he knew how much I missed my friend.

And Pepper hadn't come empty-handed, either. There were plenty of wedding gifts stacked on a table inside the Palace, where the reception would be, and there were numerous apology presents for me and Steve, all from Tony.

"And there's a large bag full of drawings from Clint Barton's daughter," Pepper had privately told me, gesturing to a brown paper box with a large purple ribbon around it. "She recorded some videos, too, and wants me to bring back some from you."

A hand on my shoulder brought me back from my thoughts. I looked up into Steve's concerned eyes, and smiled. "Just assuring the family," I cheerfully said, looking away from the holograms, who waved. "Are they ready to start yet?"

"Almost," Steve confirmed. "You might want to check on your cousin, though."

Aunt Christine sighed. "I wish I could be there," she said for the millionth time. "I should be there, giving her advice, helping with her dress, and telling her all sorts of things."

Technically, she'd already had a whole night of that.

Keeping with tradition, Bucky and I had swapped places: he stayed with Steve, Sam, and Pietro at our house, talking, drinking beer, and doing whatever guys do the night before one of them gets married. I knew that Sam and Pietro had probably cracked a thousand jokes at Bucky's expense, but knowing Steve, he had probably given his best friend some marriage tips.

Meanwhile, I stayed with Aunt Christine, who was present via a live video link, and Anna, while Pepper and Wanda finished preparing the venues for the ceremony and reception. I'd spent most of the night watching mother and daughter laugh, cry, and laugh again over the crazy planning we'd had to do in so short a time. Really, without T'Challa's personal assistants and event planners, we'd never have gotten it put together so fast.

' _It's hard to believe it's time_ ,' I thought, smiling as I slipped into Anna's dressing room.

My cousin was beautiful. Her hair was pulled up into a bundle on the top of her head, with sparkling jewel-encrusted stars clipped here and there. A band of white exotic flowers rested just above her forehead, with thin streams of white material flowing down the sides. When she walked, the material would float, giving her an ethereal look.

"Are you sure about the dress?" Anna urgently asked. "I mean, what do you really think about it?"

Rolling my eyes, I smiled and went to straighten the small train trailing behind her. "You look like a princess; literally, I might add," I said, smiling proudly.

She'd wanted a fairy tale gown, and this was it. The bodice and off-the-shoulder sleeves were reminiscent of the gown Cinderella had worn in the animated film, but instead of puffing out, the skirt went straight down. In the back was a small gathering of shimmering material that fell like mist to the ground, trailing slightly as she walked.

"Bucky's jaw is going to drop when he sees you in this," I teased, earning a nervous laugh from the bride. "Now, let's go get you married!"

* * *

I was right. The second Bucky saw Anna walking down the aisle, her hand hovering just above the holographic one of her father's, he froze. From my place as maid-of-honor, I watched in amusement as Steve gently nudged the gawking groom in the side, getting him to close his mouth and straighten up a little.

Performing the ceremony was a priest and a shaman, both natives of Wakanda. Since Anna wanted to make sure this marriage was official, both holy men had agreed to perform the ceremony in two traditional ways.

It was an interesting ceremony, but I could tell that neither the bride nor groom paid much attention to it. They were both too busy staring at each other, grinning like idiots to notice anything except their cues to say "I do."

When they finally kissed as husband and wife, Bucky scooped up his bride and carried her down the aisle, grinning as Anna demanded that he put her down. He ignored her, of course, while everyone laughed and called out jokes as we began following them inside to the reception.

A solid, muscular arm slipped around my waist, holding me close as I walked. Leaning into my own husband's embrace, I heard him whisper, "Are you okay?" into my ear.

Nodding, I let him slow us down so that we were last heading in. I managed to sneak a glance back, to watch the techs take down the hologram machines and cameras. Now that the ceremony was over, Anna's parents were going to be taken back home, to break the news to the rest of the family about her wedding. In a couple weeks, photos downloaded to a flash drive would be mailed to them from Stark Industries, courtesy of Pepper, who would take them with her when she left Wakanda.

By the time we reached the celebration, the drinks had been poured, and everyone had been seated. Since there were so few of us, everyone was able to order their own dinner; with everything being made in the Palace kitchens, it was basically like eating at one of the finest restaurants in the world.

Sitting in my spot between Steve and Anna, I waited for the bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup, which had become a daily staple during my pregnancy.

"Just soup?" Pepper asked, as the bowl was set in front of me. "Adena, are you okay?"

"Just a bit under the weather," I calmly replied. "It's been a stressful few weeks, with the wedding planning and everything."

I didn't want anyone to know I was pregnant yet; I wanted to make sure we were through the first trimester before making that announcement. Heck, I hadn't even told my parents, and that, no doubt, was probably going to bite me in the butt later.

Dinner was soon served, and everyone dug in. Steve had ordered his favorite cut of steak, and seemed to be enjoying it, except for the fact that he kept sneaking worried looks at me. In spite of that, I was able to down my bowl of soup with no issues, and even had a slice of bread with garlic butter, which also managed to stay down.

Dessert was the wedding cake: white cake layered with thin slices of fruit and light whipped cream. Accompanying it was a lovely orange sorbet, and guests had the choice of more champagne or coffee. I couldn't drink, for obvious reasons, and wasn't one for coffee, so I stuck with iced water flavored with mint.

When everyone started mingling, Pepper pulled me aside and asked if I was alright. "First the soup, with no entrée to follow," she said, eying me closely. "Then you pass on the champagne, which I know you like."

She leaned closer. "Adena…are you…pregnant?"

The smile on my face made her gasp. "Oh, my god!" she gasped. "Oh, you have to let me tell Tony! He's going to be thrilled!"

I tried imagining that, but couldn't. "If you say so. But I'd rather wait before letting anyone know. Even my parents don't know, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't say anything until Steve and I choose to make it official."

She looked a little disappointed, but seemed to understand. "Okay, I'll keep quiet. But promise you'll invite me to the baby shower?"

Oh, lord, I'd have to have one, wouldn't I? ' _It would probably be a good thing, if I can get some important people to attend. Kind of like a diplomatic gathering, getting the female leaders or even royals to a party, so that the new Accords could be passed faster_.'

"If I have one, you'll be at the top of the list," I assured her. "Now, let's get back to the reception. Anna wants to open gifts in front of everyone, so that she can thank them in person."

* * *

"Why do people give weird kitchen stuff as wedding gifts?" Bucky asked as he put another toaster into the pile in the living room.

Anna laughed and shrugged. "I have no idea. I haven't been to many weddings."

They now had more toasters, toaster ovens, and microwaves than they knew what to do with. Granted, a number of them had come from Tony Stark, who was trying to make up for some of the crap he'd said and done, but still, he had to know that they didn't need multiples of the same gifts!

' _Though, there had been a time when Bucky had gotten frustrated at our new microwave and tossed it out the window_ ,' she thought with a slight wince. It had also been a bad day of recovering his memories, so all around, she couldn't blame him for his actions that day.

Pepper had been more understanding when it came to gift giving, and had handed them a stack of gift cards with substantial amounts loaded onto them, so that they could buy whatever they wanted or needed. Since T'Challa was still trying to find the jobs for Steve and Bucky, either in the Palace or at local companies, the gift cards would come in handy.

' _Lucky for Adena that she and Steve had put a lot by, in case of emergencies_ ,' Anna thought with envy. ' _And her computer assistant had moved everything to Swiss banks, to keep their assets from being frozen_.'

She and Bucky hadn't been that lucky, but T'Challa was currently paying for their room and board, and since their stuff had arrived from their previous home, they were pretty well set up now.

Suddenly, Bucky stopped what he was doing and turned around. Puzzled, Anna gave him a confused look. "What is it?" she asked, dusting off her wedding dress. "Did we forget something at the Palace?"

The smile he wore made her heart beat faster. "No. I just realized that we're husband and wife, we've just gotten married, and now it's time for the honeymoon."

Anna felt her face turn red as her husband came and swept her up into his arms, before heading up to the master bedroom…which was now _their_ bedroom.

The smile on her face matched his as he carefully kicked the door closed behind them.

* * *

AN: Next one will be a sort of Halloween one, but a bunch of other stuff mixed in. I'll also try and whip up a Thanksgiving 'episode' for November.

Please be kind and review. Thanks!


	2. Superheroes and Pregnancies

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing associated with _**Marvel, Captain America, the Avengers, etc**_. Only original characters and ideas are mine.

AN: Here's the next story. This is primarily about Steve and Adena dealing with the stress of pregnancy, amongst other things. I know, it sounds boring, but I'm hoping it isn't. Please be kind and review. Thanks.

 **Superheroes and Pregnancies** :

Looking out the kitchen window, Steve sipped his coffee and sighed. It was a beautiful scene, one that definitely belonged in a film or nature documentary.

From here, he had a glorious view of the surrounding mountains and hills, with thousands of acres of lush green jungle pouring over them. Miles from the house, the jungle ended and the Palace grounds began, the two areas separated by an invisible force field that kept people safe from the dangerous animals that roamed the wild.

But in spite of the picturesque sight, Steve was uneasy. Without thinking, he tightened his grip on his cup, causing it to crack. He winced, knowing that Adena would be angry if he broke another mug. With a bit of effort, Steve loosened his hold and let out a shaky breath.

' _I don't know if I can do this_ ,' he thought, slightly panicked.

As a rule, Steve never panicked –it was part of who he was. He'd always been a steady person, keeping calm and focused in any type of situation. That's what made him effective as Captain America, unspoken leader of the Avengers, and hero to nations across the world.

But now, everything was up in the air, and he felt empty and lost.

' _I have no job, and even worse, no sense of purpose anymore_.'

This kind of thing had never happened to him before. When he'd been a kid growing up in Brooklyn, his family had always been poor, and his parents had worked hard to put food on the table and clothes on their backs. Even as a youngster, he'd helped his parents by doing chores around the house and rummaging around the trash of the wealthy people. If he found something interesting, he tried to sell or trade it to others in their rundown apartment building, or to pawn shops, for either cash or much needed goods.

After his father died, Steve had been forced to find work wherever he could to help his mother keep food on the table and the bills paid. Bucky had helped when he could -being much stronger and taller than Steve, it had been easier for him to find a decent-paying job than it had been for Steve. But even then, Steve had been forced to become the chief breadwinner in his household.

When his mother passed away, Steve managed to get a job as an artist for a local paper, drawing advertisements and the occasional comic strip to earn a living. Then the war had started, and once he'd become Captain America, Steve felt that he'd finally met his calling: he was protecting innocent people from harm, and making the world a safer place.

As an Avenger, he'd continued on that path, with Adena a constant, steady presence in his new life. In a way, it had become 'normal' to him: he would go out Avenging, come home to his wife, and spend time with her until the team was called out again. It was sometimes chaotic, and frustrating when Adena wanted him home, but it was a way of life they had both settled into and accepted.

' _Now what am I good for_?'

Okay, now he was moping, but he had a good reason to.

Here in Wakanda, getting a job was difficult. He was respected for having been a superhero, but going from superhero to ordinary guy was hard, and Steve was having a hard time adjusting. The most difficult part was that many companies here weren't sure about hiring him, since he was unfamiliar with their cultures and ethics, and he just wasn't that great with technology (which was bad, in a country known for its technological achievements).

And yet, even though (thanks to him) they were living in another nation, branded as traitors, and having to start over, Adena was settling in and adjusting like a pro, like she always did whenever things changed drastically in their lives.

Tony was doing everything possible to fix their situation, but politics always took time. It could be months, or even years before they could go home.

Still, in spite of all this, Adena was looking upwards and moving onwards. She tried not to let her morning sickness get the better of her as she tried finding ways to talk to her family, or to find ways to keep busy. Heck, T'Challa had even found a spot for her at the Palace, namely as an assistant/advisor. The King already had plenty of assistants, but since Adena had been (and still was) close friends with the Avengers, she had a lot of experience that others did not. Steve actually had a feeling that it was her connections to Earth's Mightiest Heroes that had gotten her in T'Challa's employ, since the new King wanted to stay on good terms with them.

However, Adena was pregnant, and T'Challa didn't want her to start working yet. Instead, he'd immediately put Adena on paid maternity leave, and ordered her to focus on keeping herself healthy and happy, for the sake of the baby. She was also to tell the King if she needed _anything_ for the baby, no matter how big or small.

Not that they needed anything right now. Bucky and Anna's wedding had been a couple weeks ago, (the new couple were currently at a lake in eastern Wakanda, paid for by the King), and in the time since then, Pepper Potts (who had somehow figured out Adena's condition) had sent a dozen things for the baby, including a crib, car seat, changing table, and stroller.

His eyes drifted to his coffee cup and the dark liquid rippling there. Old-fashioned as it was, Steve wondered about how he was going to be a good father if he couldn't support his wife and child. If there was one thing Steve hated, it was when things were up in the air –it made him feel helpless, and it was not an emotion he was used to.

In spite of all that, though, Steve had to admit he was beyond thrilled that they were finally going to have a baby. His greatest hope was that the baby was healthy, and that it would turn out like Adena: sensible, kind, stubborn, and possessing an unusual ability to keep others in line.

He thought about the marvelous woman still sleeping upstairs, and smiled. Gosh, did he love her! She was his friend, his love, his rock, and now, the mother of his child.

' _But am I ready to be a dad_?'

He'd been wondering that ever since Adena had surprised him with the happy news. Always observant, she had clearly seen the worry on his face, and every time she saw it now, she told him that most men asked themselves that same question.

"It's a self-doubt thing," she assured him. "I often ask myself if I'm ready to be a mother. But we both know that this is unfamiliar ground, and that we will simply have to do the best that we can to raise our son or daughter to become a good person."

That it made him sometimes feel both better and worse. It was easy to fight Nazis, HYDRA agents, and alien invaders; raising a child was going to be a hundred times harder! They needed discipline, but also tenderness, in just the right amounts to make sure they became balanced adults.

' _Still, I don't want to be the doormat type of dad_ ,' Steve thought with determination. He was very set on that. He didn't want to be too hard on his child, but the last thing he wanted was to spoil them.

Of course, if it was a little girl that was the image of her mother, who gazed up at him with big, pleading eyes when she wanted something…well…

"Steve?" a quiet voice called from the doorway.

Turning, he set down his mug and went to his wife, who smiled up at him with drowsy eyes. "Hi," she greeted him, along with a kiss. "Sorry I slept so late. I think it's the hormones talking."

He assured her it was fine, and went to get her some crackers. To his surprise, she stopped him. "I'm not nauseous," she said. "I'm actually hungry. Do we have any chocolate chip cookies…and ham?"

Inwardly wincing, Steve realized that they'd reached the part of pregnancy he'd been dreading most: cravings.

* * *

Pregnancy is tough.

It wasn't just the morning sickness that got to me; I was having some serious aches and pains all over, though especially in my breasts, which wasn't fun. I was tired all the time, too, even after doing simple things like laundry. I couldn't even fill the dishwasher or tidy up the kitchen without wanting to sit down and put my feet up, which inevitably turned into a napping session.

And now the time had come, where the nausea wasn't coming as frequently, and the infamous pregnancy cravings were edging in.

For some reason, Steve was more worried about the cravings than any other aspect of my pregnancy. Of course, he didn't know much about pregnant women, and since I didn't want to terrify him too much, I was slowly filling him in as we went along. I'd already told him that women craved weird foods or weird food combinations when they were pregnant, and that he shouldn't try and get between a pregnant lady and the food she wanted to eat, no matter how bad it was for her.

So far, I hadn't told him about the bloating, swollen ankles, really bad mood swings (though he'd already gotten a taste of those already), breast pain, and the constant need to use the bathroom, since I'd soon have a baby resting on my bladder. All that wonderful information was going to pop up later.

Heading into the kitchen, I was very grateful that Steve was out on a jog this morning. The last thing I wanted was for him to start trying to help fix me something to eat -the last time he'd done that, I'd pushed aside the sandwich he'd made and headed straight for the nearest container of ice cream. And with my food intake about to take a big increase, we would probably have to start grocery shopping a lot more often.

' _Between the two of us, our grocery bills are going to be huge for the next several months_ ,' I realized as I put together a plate of sliced ham, cherry tomatoes, a handful of chocolates, and slices of pickles.

That's when it hit me: my baby might have more in common with their father than expected.

Rubbing my stomach, I began to feel a bit panicked. Would my son or daughter somehow get some of the Super Soldier Serum, through Steve's half of their DNA? Even if the amount of serum they got possessed half the potency of the Serum, they still might get increased speed, healing, agility, stamina, or a fast metabolism -or all of the above.

' _Guess that means they probably won't need vaccinations, since Steve can't get sick_.'

Or would they, if any trace of the Serum they got was half as efficient? Would they need shots, if they likely were immune to disease, or should I take no chances and have the doctors vaccinate my child anyway? They could test the child's blood, to see if the Serum was present, couldn't they?

' _But do I want to risk giving them my baby's blood_? _They might try and see if they can reverse engineer the Serum by using my poor baby's DNA_!'

There was no way I was going to let that happen. I'd already seen what had happened with those Winter Soldiers in Siberia; I wasn't going to let anyone drain my baby dry, trying to replicate what had happened to Steve in the 1940's.

Swallowing hard, I struggled to calm myself, for the baby's sake. Considering how things currently stood in the world, there was a good chance that I would give birth here in Wakanda. T'Challa would have the best doctors in the country, if not the world, attending me, and he would make sure that no one tried anything. The King's word was Law, and if he gave an order, his people would follow it to the letter.

I heard the front door open and close, followed by Steve calling my name. "In the kitchen!" I replied, which brought him quickly to my side.

As always, Steve wasn't even sweating from his run. "Chocolate and pickles again?" he asked, eying the items I had in front of me. "I'm going to ask the doctors to put you on a strict diet. All those sweets can't be good for you, or the baby."

Before I could argue with him, I got an email from Pepper, so I ignored him in favor of eating and reading. Luckily, Tony had rigged some kind of subtle software so that Pepper and I could email and text one another without the government catching us, though calls were still too easy to track.

In the message, Pepper told me that Tony had sent my parents new phones, created by him. On the outside, they appeared to be the usual, mass-produced cell phone, but on the inside, they had the tech of Stark Industries. If any of the government's people tried searching through the phones, they wouldn't find anything suspicious. The only problem was that, like with Pepper, I could only text and email them without getting my family in trouble.

"We have to let them know about the baby," Steve insisted, after I finished reading the message aloud. "You can't hide this from them forever."

"I know," I muttered, "I just wish it wasn't through a text or email. I want to ask Phil to whisk them away to a SHIELD base so that I can tell them in person, but if they vanish so soon after my aunt and uncle did for Anna's wedding, people will get suspicious. The last thing I want to do is get SHIELD in trouble for helping us; they have a lot to do already."

Meanwhile, my brain was frantically coming up with ideas on how to tell my folks that they were going to be grandparents. Should I put together a nice announcement, with cute trim and a message announcing the birth date?

' _Then again, we don't really know the_ _ **exact**_ _birth date_.'

Since the doctors' only experience with treating superhuman or superheroes were the Royal Family of Wakanda (and even then, only when they were full adults), the doctors were being cautious when it came to treating me and my baby, which Steve felt was a good thing. In the end, they figured the baby would be born during the spring, by May, at the latest.

But how do I tell my parents any of this without worrying them?

' _I probably can't, which is why I need to do this in as cute and nice a way as possible_.'

I looked over at Steve. "Any ideas?"

* * *

Steve had decided to be a soldier and deliver the news in the simplest way he could think of.

With Sunny linked into their desktop computer, he and Adena had managed to create what he felt to be a rather nice announcement. They'd chosen a nice border and a pretty yellow-and-green background, since they didn't know if it was a girl or a boy yet, and this afternoon, they would scan in a copy of today's sonogram to paste onto it.

"I can't believe I forgot to get one of these," Adena muttered as they waited for one of the Palace physicians. "The doctors took some of my blood, they checked my health in general, and told me what kinds of foods to avoid and vitamins to take, but they didn't want to take a sonogram too soon, because there might not be much to look at."

He was listening, but not looking at her face. Instead, his eyes were focused on her stomach, which she had bared after lying down on the exam table, draped in a hospital gown and with a blanket over her lower half. Adena had explained the procedure to him earlier that morning, and even though he disliked the idea of how invasive he thought it was, Steve was beyond anxious to see what his unborn child looked like.

"Good afternoon," a soft voice greeted them from the doorway.

Steve instantly relaxed. Chloe was one of the doctors he'd met before, and he liked her immensely. Educated at the finest medical schools in Europe, Chloe (which was not her actual Wakandan name, but one she asked them to call her by) was one of the best doctors in the country. Coincidentally, one of her main focuses in medicine was the female body, so that she could be the personal physician and obstetrician to future Queens and Princesses. Since T'Challa had no Queen, Adena had Chloe all to herself.

"How are you today, Mrs. Rogers?" Chloe asked, smiling as she washed her hands in a nearby sink and dried them. "Has the nausea faded somewhat?"

Adena confirmed that it had, and that she was beginning to get her cravings. "I try to eat healthy, but most of the time, I just want something sweet and something salty."

Chloe laughed as she pulled on a pair of latex gloves. "I know, but please _try_ to focus on healthy options, will you? Remember, the more you put on, the more you'll have to lose later; though breast feeding will help shed a few pounds."

From the sidelines, Steve watched as Chloe squirted a clear gel on Adena's belly and began running the sensor of the machine over where the baby was supposed to be. As the device slowly went back and forth, Steve reached out to take his wife's hand.

"You know, I remember going to one of these with my mom, when she was pregnant with my brother," Adena softly murmured, gently squeezing his fingers. "The doctor said it was a girl, but I wanted a brother, so I told her that it was a boy. Everyone thought it was so funny, a little girl saying that a doctor was wrong, but in the end, I was right. You have no idea how surprised my parents were!"

Steve couldn't help laughing, and in spite of his anxiety, he felt himself relax a little more as Chloe joined in, though her eyes didn't move from the monitor.

"Well, technology has changed a lot over the years, and ours is the best, so we're bound to be right when it comes to guessing the baby's sex," Chloe assured them. "By the way, do you _want_ to know the baby's sex, when the time comes? Or do you want to be surprised?"

"Surprised," Adena immediately replied. "But Steve might want the opposite."

He really did want to know, but Adena was the one carrying the baby, so he was going to wait to do what she wanted. "I'll wait," he said, grudgingly giving in.

Chloe nodded. "Well, there's your baby."

Steve only saw something that resembled an oval-shaped blob until Chloe pointed out the tiny dots that were the baby's feet and arms. Then the oval moved, as though it knew it was on camera, wiggling a little as Adena gave an excited little gasp.

"Look, Steve! It's moving!" she whispered. "Oh, it's so cute!"

"Now, Adena, I'm going to have to insert a camera inside, to get a better look," Chloe informed them. "It's going to be uncomfortable, but the image will be a lot clearer. I just need you to lay back, relax, and hold still; okay?"

Even with the large sheet covering everything, and his wife looking completely calm about what was happening, Steve felt extremely uncomfortable as Chloe carried out the second part of the procedure. However, when the next image appeared on the monitor, he found himself fascinated at the much clearer image.

"That little bit of flashing on the screen, right here?" Chloe said, using the computer mouse to point it out. "That's the heart beating. It looks nice and steady, which is a very good sign."

"Why?" Steve asked, growing nervous again.

Chloe gave them a comforting smile. "If it wasn't, I would guess you were close to a miscarriage, or there was something wrong with the baby. But it's doing very well, and we'll keep a close eye on you both. Don't you worry."

After removing the camera and entering a few things into the computer, Chloe announced that, at best guess, Adena was due to give birth in late April, or early May. "There is a chance I could be a week or two off, but if I were you, I'd try and be ready. I know _we_ will!"

Grinning, Adena waited as Chloe began to help wipe the gel off of her. "Thanks, Doc."

"If anything changes, or you feel worried about your symptoms, call me _immediately_ ," Chloe firmly ordered, finishing with the cleanup. "Don't worry about bothering me. I just want you to have a happy, healthy baby. Understand?"

Both Steve and Adena agreed, and after getting a flash drive of the sonogram and a print out of it, they thanked Chloe again before heading out to the car. Fortunately, T'Challa had finally agreed to let them have their own vehicle, rather than a chauffeured one. Steve hated being driven around, and right now, he was the only one he trusted to drive Adena anywhere.

They reached home just as the sun was setting behind the tall mountains. Adena immediately headed for the kitchen to start dinner, Steve trailing behind to make sure she didn't help herself to anything while they cooked.

Together, they made spaghetti and meatballs, with a thawed chocolate crème pie for dessert. Once she'd finished eating, Adena headed upstairs to rest, leaving Steve to his thoughts.

For quite a while, he sat on the couch, staring at the photo of his tiny unborn baby. He might not know if it was a girl or a boy, but he _did_ know that he loved it, and that he was going to protect his son or daughter with every fiber of his being.

Suddenly, Steve felt his confidence grow. With Adena beside him, he knew he could face anything; even fatherhood.

Smiling, he headed upstairs to get ready for bed, the photo held gently, but firmly in his hand. He would have to find the perfect frame for it, but that would have to wait a little while. They had something more important to do.

* * *

Steve waited anxiously as Adena went through the flood of emails being sent to her, all of them in response to their pregnancy announcement.

So far, she'd already gone through the ones sent from his fellow Avengers still back in the States, who had sent congratulations and promises of baby gifts in the near future. Their friends here in Wakanda had already called to say that they would stop by and visit in the next day or two, to give them some privacy.

The messages currently being fought through were from Adena's vast family, and it would probably take days to go through them all.

Finally, Adena sighed and closed the laptop. "Well, it's official. My dad wants to kill you," she said, startling him.

Steve blinked at her in confusion. "What? Why?" Even though they'd rarely seen each other, Steve always thought he was on good terms with his father-in-law.

His wife shrugged and reached for the plate sitting beside her on the desk, so that she could grab a cracker. "Because I'm pregnant and living in a country on the other side of the world from them," she replied. "Not to mention that we're still fugitives, which only made him angrier. Don't worry, Steve; Dad just doesn't like the idea of me being so far away, and I think he's afraid that he'll never get to meet his first grandchild."

Okay, he could certainly understand that. "What did your other family members say?"

"Well, Mom's angry at you, too," Adena admitted, picking up a cheese cube and popping it in her mouth. "My brother's thrilled, though. From the other emails I've read, the rest of the family seems torn between celebrating, and wanting to beat you senseless for putting us in this living situation."

After finishing the cheese, Adena followed it with a gulp of chocolate milk. When he saw her smirk a little bit, Steve began to get a little worried. "What is it?"

"Tony's message said that he hopes to be the one that gets to spoil the baby," she admitted, grinning as he rolled his eyes. "I think that's his subtle way of asking to be named the baby's godfather. Not that I intend to do that, but I _was_ considering Pepper as a godmother."

 _That_ was an idea Steve hadn't thought of. Pepper was a good woman with a fantastic career as Stark Industries' CEO, which meant she could provide for their child if the worst happened to him and Adena. Pepper was also intelligent and steady; very good traits when it came to handling kids…or Tony Stark.

Adena saw that he agreed with her and smiled. "Good. Now, what do you think about putting Barton and Laura on the list of possible godparents? Out of all the people we know, including the Avengers, they'll probably be the best bet of our child having a normal life."

Since her idea was a good one, Steve agreed, and promptly went to go fix something for dinner, leaving her to the emails. Adena was undoubtedly going to want something very sweet after dinner, and even though the doctors wouldn't like it, Steve was going to give in to her anyway. If there was anyone who deserved it, it was her.

"Make sure it's pasta!" she called from the other room. "Spaghetti, with tomato sauce!"

Chuckling, he reached for the cupboards. Her wish was his command.

* * *

AN: So, I won't really know whether they have a boy or girl until I write the childbirth chapter early next year (I know, long wait), so everyone will have to be patient, just like Steve and Adena (and the other Avengers).

I will post the Halloween chapter a few days after the actual holiday, since I'll be busy handing out candy that night -and indulging in a few myself (wink, wink).

Please be kind and review! Thanks!


	3. Masquerades

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing associated with _**Marvel, Captain America, the Avengers, etc**_. Only original characters and ideas are mine.

AN: Here's the next story. Enjoy, and please don't forget to review. Thanks!

 **Masquerades:**

Watching partygoers mingle and twirl around the dance floor, I sighed and leaned against Steve's supportive arm, wondering when I could make a quick getaway to the buffet table.

Knowing that Steve and I were homesick, T'Challa had decided to throw a huge gala at the Palace as a tribute to the American holiday of Halloween. Granted, it was a masquerade ball, with everyone dressed up in costumes and wearing masks or face paint, but still, it was as close to Halloween as Steve and I were going to get, and we appreciated the King's efforts to make us feel at home in his country.

"Actually, I should be thanking _you_ for the idea," T'Challa had said over the phone as I thanked him for the invitation, and for throwing the event. "We haven't hosted evenings like this since my mother was alive. Even though she was a good Queen and known for her wisdom, she was always the one who liked having fun."

So, here we were, watching costumed Wakandan aristocrats and foreign dignitaries spin around in a waltz, the music played by a good-sized orchestra. I'd half expected a DJ or something, but T'Challa had wanted to keep it classy.

' _And to give the musicians credit, they could play pretty much any song, modern or classical, rap or pop, and still sound good_. _So whatever kind of music school they've got here in Wakanda, it's a damn good one_ ,' I thought with a small smile as they struck up a popular hip hop song.

"Are you alright?" Steve quietly asked. It was the fifth time he'd ask that, tonight.

"I'm hungry and a bit tired," I grudgingly admitted. "I don't want to leave, though."

Normally, I'd be assuring him that I was fine, even if I wasn't -I'd done it during previous parties at Avengers Tower, or the Base. But now I was pregnant, and I had to keep the baby's health in mind, too. So, I was going to be truthful when it came to how I was.

Steve nodded and put his arm around me. Tonight, he was extremely handsome in a tuxedo and wearing a gold mask edged with black embroidery. I had on a gold lace mask, and a loose, floor-length Greek goddess outfit, with a gold fabric belt that snapped in front. The material was light, comfortable, and breathable; all a blessing when you're pregnant in a warm, humid country.

' _And when your breasts are starting to strain your tops_ ,' I silently complained to myself. I couldn't help wondering when I would start needing maternity clothes (an idea that didn't exactly thrill me).

"Buffet table?" Steve murmured, knowing what the answer would be.

I nodded slightly, and let him lead me in that direction. We slowly made our way around the edge of the huge ballroom, which was beautifully crafted of fine marble in several different shades. Gold leaf decorated the tops of pillars, and scattered about the room, lush green plants with blooming flowers stood in elegant porcelain vases. The plants not only provided a spicy scent for the room, but also created small areas of privacy for those who required it.

We finally made it to the refreshments, and I was astounded at the variety. Hors d'oeuvres were everywhere, in every kind imaginable. Seafood included lobster, shrimp as big as my hand, crab legs and crab cakes, fish that was cooked or served as sushi, and even fresh sea urchin, served hot or cold in various ways. Meat items included steak tartare on little pieces of toast, tiny filet mignons on puff pastry, and curried chicken on pita bread squares, just to name a few.

The dessert section, however, was in my sights, and after I filled a small plate with meat and seafood, I made Steve hold it for me while I attacked the chocolate dipped cookies and strawberries. I also snatched up a few tiny pies with different fillings.

My poor husband, gentleman that he was, held my hors d'oeuvres plate until I finished my desserts. I then proceeded to stuff my face for a good ten minutes before stopping, and that was only to take a glass of sparkling apple cider from a passing waiter.

When I finished, I heaved a happy sigh and took a nearby chair as Steve took his turn to eat.

* * *

As the evening wore on, I noticed that our Avenger friends were also attending the party.

It should have been easy to spot them, even with costumes on, but there were dozens of people here in outfits that covered them from head-to-toe, so it was hard to spot even someone you knew, unless they spotted you first.

Steve stood out, of course; he was a tall, blonde man amongst ebony-skinned Wakandans. And since he never let me out of his sight, I was easily spotted, too, so it was simple for our friends to find us.

"Dee!" greeted a familiar, warm voice with an American accent.

I turned and grinned when I saw Sam approaching us, dressed as a swashbuckling pirate and looking very roguish. He had a black-and-gold mask on, but I'd recognize his grin anywhere.

"Sam!" I cheerfully greeted him, accepting a kiss on the cheek, along with a hug. "I'm so happy to see you!"

"Well, you two lovebirds have been busy, feathering the nest and all," he replied, eying my belly closely. "Still nauseous, or are you over that?"

Steve smiled and playfully punched him in the arm. "She's fine, though I'm starting to worry about the cravings she's been having."

I rolled my eyes. "It's not that bad," I huffed. "I've just developed a sweet tooth, and the need for something salty once in a while."

Sam exchanged a look with Steve, and I knew that they were going to have a long 'guy talk' behind my back. Not that I minded –Steve really should spend more time with someone who wasn't his pregnant wife.

"Well, you look great," Sam commented, taking my hand and giving a bow. "Every inch a Greek Goddess."

Laughing, I returned his bow with a small curtsey. "Thank you, noble sir," I replied, "Though I really shouldn't trust a pirate."

The orchestra striking up a fun dance tune prevented Sam from making another comment. Then, out of nowhere, I found myself dragged to the dance floor. Since jumping around wasn't a good idea in my condition, I let Sam bust out his moves, only joining in when the pace slowed down a bit and I could try and keep up.

When the song ended, I was a bit breathless, and I was more than happy to go back to Steve and stand on the sidelines while Sam went in search of another dance partner. He quickly found one, namely in the form of a very elegantly dressed woman, who was on T'Challa's Council of Advisors.

Glancing towards the other side of the room, I spotted Bucky and Anna, both of them still basking in the glow of their honeymoon. They'd just gotten back from their trip the day before, and had scrambled to find costumes for tonight. Anna had always wanted to attend a masked costume ball, and she was _not_ going to let a chance like this slip through her fingers.

They'd chosen to come dressed as a couple, as a number of party attendants had, and theirs was a very adorable pairing: Bucky was dressed as the Phantom of the Opera, and Anna was Christine.

I had to admit, Bucky looked really dashing in the Phantom's dress outfit, mask and cloak, and Anna was sweet and happy in her white gown. Both wore white half-masks, and every time a slow song was played, the two spun out onto the floor, beaming cheerfully at one another.

Finally, when the orchestra took a break, Anna made her way over, dragging Bucky behind her though the crowd. "Adena, you're _glowing_!" she crowed, rushing to give me a hug. "How are you doing?"

Glowing? When had I managed to achieve the legendary 'pregnancy glow'? It must have been recent, since I hadn't noticed it when looking in the mirror.

"I'm fine," I replied, smiling as I leaned against Steve's side. " _He's_ not happy that we're here, though. But it's the right thing to do, since the King invited us."

Steve huffed a little through his nose and held me a little tighter. "She should be resting at home. I don't think the noise and heat are good for her, or the baby."

Anna and I rolled our eyes while Bucky looked on in amusement. "Steve, you have to let the poor girl have some fun once in a while," he chided his best friend. "You can't lock her up during her entire pregnancy. That definitely wouldn't be good for either of them, and it would drive Adena crazy."

My husband clearly didn't like being outnumbered, but like a good soldier, he refused to surrender. "I'm only looking out for her. She's always tired, and I just want her to get enough rest."

"She's tired because she's turning food into a human," Anna sarcastically told him. "Besides, pregnant women need to get a certain amount of exercise, to keep them healthy. Granted, a ball isn't exercise, but a turn around the dance floor once in a while would be good for her. Besides, it's fun."

I waved her words away. "Oh, Sam already took care of that for me," I insisted. "Besides, if I dance too much, it might make me nauseous; I'm not completely over my morning sickness yet."

That earned me a round of sympathy from everyone, even after I insisted I was fine. Still, Anna snagged a glass of chilled sparkling fruit juice from a passing waiter, and we all officially toasted my pregnancy -something we hadn't done yet, even though Anna and Bucky were the first to know about the baby.

"You know, I heard Wanda telling Pietro that she wants to plan the baby shower," Anna casually mentioned, causing me to choke on my juice. "She had so much fun helping with the wedding, and I think it would be nice of you to let her do it."

The thing was, I didn't really need a baby shower; Pepper had already sent the more essential items, like the car seat, a stroller, and a crib. I knew that I could easily afford all the clothes and toys the baby would need, since I was on the King's payroll, so what was the point?

"Please let her do it," Anna pleaded. "A baby shower is meant to not only celebrate the little one, but honor its mother. Trust me, Adena; if anyone deserves to be honored, it's you."

"I agree," Steve quietly stated. "You do so much for others; let them do something for you."

Sighing, I reluctantly agreed. "Fine, I'll talk to Wanda about it."

My cousin and new cousin-in-law took their leave, both of them hugging me before heading off into the crowds.

Not that Steve and I were left alone for long, because our other Avenger friends began to slowly take turns to check up on me.

* * *

First was Cyan, who, for once, wasn't standing out in the crowd. He was dressed in a blue 18th Century French nobleman's outfit, with a wig and a blue-and-silver mask over his face. Apparently, he found the idea of dressing up amusing, and was actually having a good time, talking with people and learning new social interaction skills.

"I usually spend my time studying Wakandan technology and comparing it to both my previous and current forms," my blue friend informed me. "Occasionally, I indulge in studying their culture and history, and tonight's event seemed an ideal opportunity to observe everyone in a formal setting. It is all very fascinating."

He asked about my health, and offered his congratulations about the baby. "The child will be most fortunate to have you and Captain Rogers as parents," Cyan stated. "I also have the utmost confidence in your abilities to raise your offspring into a fully capable adult."

A thoughtful look came over his usually serene face. "I have been considering an appropriate gift, but have yet to choose one. I understand that gifts should either be something a person wants, or needs. Which shall I obtain for you?"

I hastily assured him that toys or clothing would be fine; part of me worried that Cyan might try and get something out of the ordinary (he was a machine, after all), so limiting him to toys or clothes seemed to be the best move.

The orchestra chose that moment to return, and Cyan decided to go watch people dance. He liked watching human movements, so that he could try and imitate them later.

By then, Steve seemed to sense that I was wilting a bit, so he quickly directed me to a chair. I got another glass of sparkling juice, while Steve sent a waiter to bring me something to eat. The server returned with some small sandwiches, which I quickly devoured. When my glass and plate were empty, the waiter took them away, leaving me rather drowsy.

"Adena!" a soft voice called, causing my head to turn.

It was Wanda, garbed beautifully in a red-and-gold Elizabethan gown. The colors perfectly matched her hair, which had been piled up atop her head and decorated with elaborate gold pins. Her mask was red, trimmed in gold thread, and around her neck was a copy of the device Tony had made for her last Christmas, to confine her telepathic powers so that the only thoughts she heard were her own. She was very lucky that T'Challa's people were able to make one for her so quickly, after being told what she needed.

But even with the silver neckband clashing with her outfit slightly, Wanda was absolutely stunning, which is why a dozen guys were vying for her attention, much to Pietro's frustration.

Meanwhile, the silver-haired speedster had chosen to wear a silver 'space man' suit, paired with an unusual mask of silver material, but with black framing the eyeholes. And while he was scowling at his sister's admirers, Pietro barely seemed to notice that there were several young ladies admiring him.

Standing, I embraced the grinning red-head. "You look wonderful! I'm so glad you were able to come; you deserve to have some fun, like all young people."

Wanda blushed prettily while Pietro nodded. "It's been a while since we've had fun," he admitted. "Wanda and I have been practicing our abilities here in the Palace, in the King's gymnasium, where we can't risk hurting anyone."

"It's very kind of him to pay for our housing and food, but we do wish we had some way of earning a living here," Wanda admitted, a look of guilt on her face (well, the part I could see, anyway). "I'm sure we'll find something, soon."

Not wanting to stay on such a tough subject for them, I decided to change direction. "Wanda, Anna tells me that you want to plan a baby shower for me," I mentioned with a smile.

She blushed. "I truly would, Adena," her Sokovian accent giving my name a pretty pronunciation. "You've done so much for me and Pietro; I would like to repay you in some way."

I really couldn't say 'no' to her pleading eyes, or ignore the fact that Pietro looked as excited as his sister did. "Okay," I sighed. "But nothing too extravagant! I don't need mountains of balloons or waterfalls of streamers. No five-tiered cake, or fireworks."

Quickly shifting through memories of baby showers I'd attended over the years, I immediately had to make one last item to the list. "And no weird games. I've been to plenty of showers for friends and coworkers, and the people who planned them had us all play really weird, and very stupid games that everyone hated. Just some appetizers, decorations, some nice desserts, and small gifts. We've already gotten most of the big stuff, but things like clothes, toys and smaller stuff would be appreciated."

This whole time, Wanda was nodding, obviously memorizing every word I said. "Done," she agreed. "I promise you won't be disappointed, Adena."

She gave me another hug, and a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thank you for letting me do this," she whispered as she pulled away.

At that moment, a handsome young Wakandan man in a Robin Hood outfit came and asked for a dance with her. I had to hold back a giggle as she accepted and was swept onto the dance floor, her brother glaring protectively after her. The look on Pietro's face rivaled the one Steve wore whenever he thought someone was being too friendly with me.

"You know, this is good for her," I quickly whispered to the scowling speedster.

He sighed. "I know," Pietro admitted, watching Wanda twirl around with her dance partner. "As much as I do not like it, my sister had little time to flirt with men when we were growing up."

Then his attention turned towards me, his annoyance giving away to a genuine smile. "Thank you for letting her plan the party. She has been excited about it for weeks."

I blinked at him. "But I only told you guys about my pregnancy a short time ago. How did she know?"

Silver clad shoulders shrugged. "Sometimes, when she touches someone or something, Wanda can see their future, or discovers a secret about them. She brushed hands with you once, during Anna's wedding, and had a vision of you holding a baby. That's when she knew."

"That's cheating," I mumbled, though Steve looked amused, rather than annoyed. "Well, I'm positive the party will be a success."

Just then, the music changed to a fast beat, and Pietro asked if Steve would be taking me to dance. Unfortunately, with all of the changes going on with my body, I didn't want to overdo it, so I told him that I intended to stay on the sidelines. Pietro understood, and went in search of a partner for himself while Wanda continued on with her Wakandan Robin Hood.

By around midnight, I was ready to pass out. The heat of the room, and my body demanding that I go to bed _right now_ , had me longing for a chilled washcloth for my head, and our air conditioned house.

"Adena?" Steve asked, a touch of urgency in his voice. "Are you okay? You look a bit pale."

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I'm okay."

I gave him a smile, but he didn't seem to buy it. "We can leave," he suggested, looking around at the crowd. "I knew this was a bad idea. It's warm in here, even with the Palace air conditioning, and you look ready to fall asleep on your feet."

That sounded like a good idea to me, but I knew couldn't go just yet. "We can't leave," I said, shaking my head. "We haven't even said 'hello' to T'Challa yet. We should at least do that before we go."

"That is one of the things I like best about you," said a familiar voice behind me. "You are far more honest and considerate than most people I know."

Blinking, I realized that things had gone a little quiet near us, so I slowly turned to greet Wakanda's King. "Your Majesty," I murmured, dipping into a curtsey.

Throughout the evening, I had very carefully watched what was happening near the dais where the young King sat on his throne, flanked by numerous guards and assistants. Some of his subjects had approached him to simply offer their greetings, while others clearly had favors to ask, or business to discuss. T'Challa was more than willing to greet his people, but anyone wanting more than a minute of his time had to speak to his attendants, to make a future appointment.

But even a King has to mingle, or else he would appear cold and arrogant, so T'Challa had stepped down to walk the room. Now it was apparently our turn to be given royal attention.

"I received your official announcement, Adena," he said, smiling. "May I offer my congratulations?"

"Thank you," I said, accepting his well-wishes. "And thank you for such a wonderful event. I've never been to a masquerade, but always wanted to go."

He gave a slight nod, which was his version of a bow. "I am pleased with it, too, even though there are many who think to try and get into my good graces."

Suddenly, a change came over him, as if an invisible cloak of authority had settled on his shoulders as he turned his head towards the crowd around us. I'd heard that some leaders could clear a room with a single look, but seeing T'Challa actually do it was most impressive.

When the last person moved far out of earshot, T'Challa turned his attention towards Steve, and acknowledged him with a nod. "Captain, I must thank you for the hard work you have been doing, trying to get a new version of the Accords passed. I already have my country's representative in the U.N. showing our support for it."

Then he shifted his stance a bit, going from a semi-relaxed monarch to someone who was clearly the Black Panther. "I also wish for you to place your child under my protection. I do not ask to be what you call a 'godparent,' but know that, should there be any threat to your son or daughter, I will bring the full might of the Panther and my country against any enemy of theirs."

I had to gasp. I knew that the Avengers were all (eventually) going to make the same offer -as friends of mine, this was something I expected. But for the King of a powerful and influential nation to promise to protect my baby, and likely go to war for it, well…that's the sort of things that a woman doesn't even dream of, outside of a fairy tale.

"That…" I swallowed hard. "That is most gracious of you, Majesty. We are _very_ grateful."

Steve and I both gave a bow, and T'Challa managed a small smile before leaving to return to the dais.

That was when I realized I was sweating. Pregnancy and heat do not go well together, especially not for someone who was used to the cooler temperatures of the eastern United States. I carefully took my mask off, and Steve handed me his pocket handkerchief, which I used to dab away the moisture on my face.

"Thanks, love," I whispered, handing the cloth back to him. "I think I'm ready to go now."

Before we left, we looked up at the dais. A second later, T'Challa caught my eye and nodded slightly. Steve and I both bowed again before making our way towards the exit, where we were met by the King's Chief Bodyguard. Tall and slim, with a shaved head and fierce expression, Ayo was intimidating to everyone. But she had always been kind to us, and we were glad to see her, since crowds tended to part like the Red Sea wherever she walked.

After a quick nod of greeting, Ayo eyed me closely. As T'Challa's most trusted guard, whatever he knew, she knew -so, of course, she knew I was pregnant. "Are you well? Do you need a car to take you home?"

Steve nodded. "I think the heat is getting to her. Now that we've seen the King, I think our obligations here have been met, don't you?"

Ayo gave a very subtle nod. With a small move of a finger, a servant rushed forward to lead us out of the crowded room. I felt guilty, but I suddenly felt as though I needed to take a nap…for about a week. Jeez, making a human took a lot out of a girl!

In five minutes, we were inside our chauffeured vehicle, heading down the royal driveway. The car was blissfully cool, and during the ride back to the house, I became more comfortable, and a bit more cheerful. When we'd arrived in front of the house, Steve gently handed me out of the car, as though he were handling glass, and led me inside, where the air conditioner was running, like always.

As soon as Steve flipped the lights on, I let out a yelp. There were wrapped packages stacked on every empty surface from the living room, all the way back to the dining room.

"What the hell?" I wondered, staring at the gifts. "Where did all of these come from? Do you think they're from the King?"

Instantly suspicious, Steve stepped in front of me and took a cautious step forward to look at a tag on one of the boxes. I watched as his concern melted away and a grin replace it.

"What is it?" I asked, picking up a box that looked like it might hold a bracelet.

Reading the attached tag, I burst out laughing.

 _To: Baby Rogers_

 _From: Your Favorite Uncle, Tony Stark_

Still giggling, I opened the gift and gasped. It was a silver rattle, and engraved on the top was Steve's Captain America star symbol. It was adorable, and the little chime that it made when I shook it was so pretty, I almost wanted it for myself.

Steve, meanwhile, was looking around at all the gifts. "Promise me one thing," he pleaded, eying a huge box by the fireplace. "Let's _not_ have Tony be the godfather, okay? I'm not sure I like the idea of him raising our baby to be like him."

The thought of Tony taking care of a baby had me laughing again. When I calmed down, I agreed that Tony would not be left in charge of our child. Steve looked relieved, and told me to go change while he took care of the gifts. Since he was more practically dressed than I was, I agreed.

Once I was in my cotton pajamas, I took a seat at the edge of the bed and yawned. The coolness of the house made me feel all comfy, and the bed seemed to be calling my name. Telling myself that I'd only lay down for a few minutes, I snuggled under the covers and closed my eyes.

* * *

Making his way upstairs, Steve sighed. "I swear, it looks like he cleaned out an entire baby store," he grumbled as he made his way into the master bedroom.

Seeing Adena already asleep squashed his bad mood. She looked so comfortable; much better than when they'd been at the ball. She was even smiling in her sleep.

With a smile of his own, Steve got ready for bed as quietly as he could, though he knew from experience that his wife could sleep through anything right now. Adena usually slept rather lightly, but with her pregnancy, she was now a very heavy sleeper, so he let her sleep as much as she wanted.

After slowly getting into the bed, Steve grinned as she rolled over to snuggle against him. Eager to join her, Steve turned out the lights and laid down, putting his arm around his beloved and pulling her close.

* * *

AN: Next up: Baby shower!

Review?


	4. Star-Spangled Baby Showers

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing associated with _**Marvel, Captain America, the Avengers, etc**_. Only original characters and ideas are mine.

AN: I know I said that I was going to write a Thanksgiving chapter, but the holiday totally snuck up on me this year, so I wasn't able to type one out. Instead, here's Adena's baby shower, with a few guest appearances. Enjoy, and please don't forget to review. Thanks!

 **Star-Spangled Baby Showers :**

"I hate this," I mumbled, fingering the blindfold that covered my eyes. "Why can't I see it?"

"It's a _surprise_!" Anna squealed, keeping her voice down as I was led into her house.

I took one cautious step after another, trying not to trip as my cousin led me inside. I heard frantic feminine whispering, a giggle or two, and the sound of a heavy glass object being set down on a hard wooden surface.

As agreed, I'd let Wanda plan a baby shower, and now, weeks later, it was time to see what my young Sokovian friend had put together. I was anxious, and a little excited, but mostly, I was rather sad that my family members couldn't be here, or Natasha or Pepper. With only Wanda and Anna in attendance, it was going to be a very boring gathering.

"Surprise!" cried several voices as my blindfold was lifted.

I frantically blinked to adjust my eyesight, and once I had my bearings, I squealed in absolute joy. "Nat! Pepper! Laura!" I cried as we all gathered in a group hug.

I had no idea _how_ my friends had gotten here, but I didn't care. I had some female support, and that was all that mattered. Steve was wonderful, of course, but sometimes a girl needed other females to talk 'girl stuff' with.

' _And who better than another mother_?' I thought with a grin as Laura took my hand and led me to the living room.

The set up was incredible. There were white, yellow and green star balloons floating along the walls, and streamers hanging from the chandelier in the dining room, arching gracefully to the walls, where they were held in place by silver-and-gold tape. The dining table held mounds of gifts, while a side table and the coffee table held at least a dozen kinds of finger food. Bottles of sparkling juice chilled in strategically placed buckets around the room, ready to be poured the second anyone wanted some.

"Wow," I breathed. "Wanda, this is fantastic!"

The young redhead grinned as I was led to a cushioned chair, where I promptly made myself comfortable. Pepper poured me a glass of sparkling apple cider, and Anna began asking what I wanted to eat.

"Food first," she firmly declared. "We can't have the mom-to-be getting all cranky because we haven't fed her, and opening presents will take a while."

Laura laughed, and nodded in agreement. "I remember those days. My pregnancy with Cooper was the worst, since I had no idea what to expect while I was expecting. But with Lila and Nathaniel, it was a bit easier."

As soon as my plate was in my hands, I looked over the bounty of food and smiled. There was my favorite kind of sushi: thick, fatty smoked salmon slabs over rice, with a strip of seaweed wrapped around it. I wasn't supposed to eat raw fish, but smoked was okay, in moderation.

There were also small beef tenderloins on a stick; teriyaki chicken kababs; roasted veggies in a sweet soy sauce; shrimp cocktail; various creamy cheeses with crackers; fresh fruit and veggies; and deviled eggs. There were also various puff pastries, with all kinds of savory fillings.

Last of all was my pregnancy favorite: various kinds of pickles, from pickled asparagus to the traditional dill pickles. Steve knew to keep the fridge stocked with pickles, so that I'd have something to snack on in the middle of the night.

While I dug into my plate, the others helped themselves and took seats on the couch or the floor, which had cushions scattered around to make sure everyone was comfortable.

"There's also a nice watermelon chiller," Anna told everyone as they began to get their beverages. "But that's for later. It's still in the fridge, along with the desserts. We'll get those out halfway through the gift opening."

With a piece of sushi in my mouth, I looked around the room. "So, how did you guys get here?" I asked, glancing over at Natasha. "Aren't _you_ supposed to be on the run somewhere in Europe? How did you find out about this?"

She shrugged. "I've been keeping Pepper in the loop as to where I am. I know that Tony probably checks her phone, but once in a while, she gets a secured email from me, and can answer back from her own account."

Nat nodded in Wanda's direction. "Wanda told Pepper about the baby shower, and Pepper told me and Laura. Things started rolling from there."

"There's no way Tony could keep me from coming," Pepper flatly told us. "The government thinks I'm here on Stark Industries business, though they probably suspect that I'm meeting with you and Steve, since Tony's lawyers have been tirelessly working on the Accords rewrite. But they couldn't stop me from coming."

"Pepper offered to bring me here on her private plane," Laura put in as she nibbled on some pastry. "I had to drive to another county to get picked up, but it was worth it."

I snickered. "So Clint's home alone with the kids? Poor guy."

Laura chuckled and gave a half shrug. "Think of it as payback for all the times he'd traveled and left me alone with the kids. It's his turn."

"Hopefully the house will still be standing when you get back," Nat muttered teasingly as she popped a shrimp into her mouth.

I burst out laughing, imagining Laura getting home to a frazzled Clint, with Nathaniel on one arm, and two kids running around him as something burned in the oven. It was like a scene from a bad comedy film, and when I told the others, they laughed so hard, even Nat had to wipe tears from her eyes.

"Oh, that's good," Pepper managed to squeak out between giggles. "Oh, that makes up for the miserable Thanksgiving I had with Tony in Aspen, snowed in inside a cabin. He tried to do the cooking, and we ended up eating burnt turkey for two days."

"Ours was just as quiet and dull," Anna muttered. "Wakanda is too humid and warm to roast a turkey -not to mention that they don't _have_ turkeys here. So we had to figure out stuff on our own."

Now, that wasn't entirely accurate. Even though we were in Wakanda, and they didn't celebrate the same holidays that we did, our Thanksgiving had been pretty good. Besides the exception of Natasha, the rest of the outcast Avengers had gathered at our house, with food we'd had the Palace chefs cater for us. There had been six roast chickens, piles of mashed potatoes and stuffing, plus several kinds of desserts. For once, I had been able to eat as much as I wanted and not look like a ravenous pregnant lady (even though I was), since everyone else was doing the same.

The day had been fun, with lots of jokes going around, and the men watching American football on the television while we girls sat upstairs and chatted. My favorite part had been when everyone snapped the wishbones of the chickens, to see who would get their wish granted. I had been up against Anna, and the two of us somehow managed to snap ours exactly in half.

' _Of course, we have most of what we could ever wish for_ ,' I reminded myself with a smile. The only thing we both wanted was to be back to the States with our families.

"Well," Natasha said, patting me on the leg. "We're all here, we're all stuffing ourselves with fabulous food, and we're going to have some serious fun."

We spent the next hour chatting about how everyone was doing. Pepper said things were going well with Tony, and Natasha claimed there wasn't much for her to tell about her global trips around the world. Laura, meanwhile, was beyond thrilled to have Clint at home full-time.

"The kids love having him around," she said, a joyful sparkle in her eyes. "And he loves taking them out to have fun after school and on the weekend. He and Cooper ride bikes all over the place, and Clint built Lila a dollhouse for her toys. Best of all, Nathaniel has his dad around to play with him."

Then it was time for my favorite part: desserts and presents!

* * *

First things first: baby showers are a lot like Christmas.

I realized this as I was sat at the dinner table, a mountain of gifts in front of me. I also had a feeling that, like today, the rest of my Christmases with Steve were all going to be about our baby, and all the cool and fun stuff we would be getting him or her.

"Okay," Wanda said, flexing her fingertips a little and using her powers to move a large trash can forward. "Wrapping paper will go in this trash bin, and there are three others waiting, since I expected everyone to bring several gifts."

It was kind of ridiculous, really. Tony had already sent a mountain of gifts weeks ago, including strollers, clothes, toys, and blankets. Most of them, though, were pretty pretentious; like silver rattles and eating utensils, and clothing that was made from expensive materials that probably wouldn't hold up after one use. There were also _huge_ stuffed animals, like a pony, a teddy bear, and as a joke, a black panther in a regal, lying down position.

The only cool thing I really liked was something clearly of Tony's creation. It was a mobile that could be set up at the head of the baby's crib, where, once activated, it could display all kinds of holographic images, like orbiting planets, glowing moons in all lunar phases, or twinkling stars in several different colors. It also had a speaker, which played every lullaby ever written, and could be set on a loop, to sooth the baby to sleep.

Now that I was surrounded by women, I knew that at least half of the gifts were going to be practical, and useful -and ridiculously cute.

Laura went first, which I was grateful for. As a mom, she was the most likely to give the best gifts to a mom-to-be.

So imagine how confused I was when all she handed me was an envelope with a card inside. Opening it up, I figured it would be a gift card, but instead, it was a cell number.

"An untraceable cell number," she explained. "I know everyone will be giving you things, but I know that, at some point or another, you'll be wanting help and advice. Call me whenever you're scared of doing something wrong, or feel like you just can't handle being a mother, okay? Whatever you're going through, I've been there. If you keep it all bottled up, or keep yourself in a constant state of panic, you're going to wear yourself out. Just call me, and I'll do everything I can to help you."

I couldn't hold back the tears as I reached up and hugged her. "After a week, you're going to be _so_ sick of hearing from me," I said, only half joking.

She gave a genuine laugh and hugged me close. "What are friends and fellow moms for?"

Pepper handed me a tissue, and a large wrapped box. "Now that Laura's already showed us up, how about the rest of your gifts?"

I managed a watery chuckle, and accepted the box. Inside were a dozen sets of the cutest jammies, ranging from newborn sizes to toddler. The materials were soft and fluffy, and just warm enough to keep the baby comfortable in our air-conditioned house. Some had little ducklings printed on them, or trees and clouds, but most of them had yellow and silver stars.

"You guys, you know that you don't _have_ to get stuff with stars on it, right?" I asked them while eying the jammies. "Just because a silver star is Captain America's symbol, and he's the father of my baby, doesn't mean you have go get that design on _everything_! It's not a family crest passed down through the generations."

Everyone laughed, but they also looked a bit guilty, so I knew I was in for a ton of stuff with Steve's infamous silver star on it.

Sure enough, Wanda passed me a box that was from Pietro. It held a set of plastic dishes and sippy cups for toddlers, and the design (of course) was a yellow star on a white background. That made me roll my eyes in good humor, but I accepted it with a smile and sincere 'thank you.'

That was only the start of the flood of star-themed gifts. Tony had included a few in the piles of presents he'd sent, but it had seemed more of a way to poke fun at Steve than anything else.

My friends, however, had decided to get every baby item they could find with a star on it. My child would have booties, pajamas, clothes, shoes, blankets, bibs, and pacifiers, all with some kind of star decoration or decal on it. Some of it was very cute, but after a while, it started to get repetitive.

"Guys, seriously, I'd give anything for little ducklings, baby chicks, or tiny fish patterns," I sighed, setting aside a hat with little stars printed on it. "The star theme is cute, but I _really_ don't want to put pressure on my offspring to try and be a hero like their dad."

Wanda snickered and motioned towards Pepper. "Sorry, it was just too funny to resist."

Pepper rolled her eyes. "It was actually Tony's idea. He jokingly said that if you and Steve ever had a baby shower, the star symbol would be the theme of it. I made the mistake of mentioning it to Wanda, and she and Pietro decided to pull the stunt in Tony's place. The rest got talked into joining in on it, just to see how you'd react."

I picked up a stuffed star toy and threw it at the young redhead, who used her powers to deflect it. "You are _so_ mean!" I cried. "Now go get my _real_ gifts, or I'm throwing one of those plastic plates at you!"

Laughing, she ran out of the room while the rest of my friends joined in the amusement. Laura reached over and patted my arm. "Actually, these are your gifts, too. Since you don't know if it's a girl or boy, a star is a pretty good neutral design."

"I know, but still," I pouted. "I _like_ baby ducks and chicks, and rainbows and puffy clouds. They're cute, and I want my baby to look cute!"

Natasha grinned. "Spoken like a true mom-to-be."

Wanda returned with a push cart loaded with even more presents. "You never did say what theme you were doing for the nursery," she reminded me. "Did you decide on one?"

As the others began removing the opened gifts and putting the unopened ones on the table, I shrugged. "We're either going with a soft, golden brown color, to give the room a warm, welcoming tone, or a darker grey. I thought about adding white trim to the room, too, or beige."

 _That_ launched a whole discussion about which color scheme everyone liked better, which I watched from the sidelines. It was an argument Steve and I had engaged in for a solid two weeks, before T'Challa heard about it and decided to create a room with holographic technology for our personal use, so that we could see what the baby's room would be like in any color theme we chose.

In fact, using the hologram room was how we decided on our two final colors. I'd thought about purple or yellow, or even light green, but Steve hadn't liked any of those. He clearly had hopes that we were having a boy, because he wanted a dark, navy blue with white trim for the room, or a deep forest green. Steve even thought about a black-and-white room, but I felt those colors were strictly for the Wakandan Royal Family.

After a week of mixing and matching colors, Steve agreed that the golden brown was nice and comforting, which would be good for the baby. I thought the darker grey with white would be nice, too, so those were the two we were stuck between.

Smiling, I rubbed my growing belly. It wasn't much of a pregnancy belly, but it was getting pretty obvious, and I couldn't help but notice the warm glow in Steve's eyes whenever he looked at me.

"Oooh, you're getting that gooey look on your face," Laura teased, patting me on the shoulder. "You're thinking about something happy, or your mind is wandering -or both."

I sighed and let my hand drop. "Definitely both," I admitted with a smile. "Now, bring on the rest of the presents! I love tearing up wrapping paper!"

* * *

"It seems pretty quiet," Bucky commented, glancing in the direction of his and Anna's house.

The newlyweds had recently moved to the home next door. Even though they had originally just been down the street and around the corner, Anna hadn't wanted to be far from her expectant cousin. As soon as the ambassador who had been living next door retired back to her homeland, T'Challa had made the newly-vacant house ready for the Barnes', who had moved in immediately. There were still boxes of stuff scattered around, but the big furniture and important items had been unpacked and settled. So far, the new arrangement suited everyone, particularly Anna and Adena, just fine.

Sam lowered his beer mug and rolled his eyes. "That's because it's a _baby shower_ , not a bachelorette party," he retorted. "If they were drinking anything alcoholic and blasting music, it'd be insanity."

"True," Pietro said, grinning. "But everything being served is non-alcoholic. Wanda made sure of that, since she didn't want Adena to feel excluded from any of the food or drinks."

Steve traced the rim of his own mug and sighed. "I hope that they don't give her too much stuff," he grumbled. "After everything Tony gave us, I think the nursery will burst at the seams if we add much more."

"Hey, babies need lots of stuff!" Sam insisted, pointing at him with his finger, and his beer bottle. "Have you _seen_ people and their diaper bags? I thought women had it rough with their handbag; handling that, _plus_ a full diaper bag, _plus_ a stroller has got to be worse!"

The other men nodded, though Cyan looked a bit puzzled. "Do infants truly require that much maintenance?" he asked. "I admit to not having researched the matter a great deal, but they are very small. I would not think that they would need much tending."

Sam chuckled. "I've heard lots of horror stories from my guys at the VA hospital back in D.C. Lots of feedings, diaper changing, burping, and soothing them at all kinds of hours. And that's just the start!"

He nodded at Steve. "Good thing you've got improved stamina, Cap, because you're going to need it. If you thought facing HYDRA or Ultron's robot army was bad, dealing with a newborn is worse."

Steve merely shrugged. "I'm actually looking forward to helping out," he admitted. "Laura brought a few books that talk about what new dads can do to make things easier on the mom. She said the books helped Clint a lot, and figures they'll do the same for me."

"Night time feedings will probably be the worst for her," Bucky put in. When the others looked over at him with incredulous expressions on their faces, he blushed and shrugged. "I looked a few things up online, after Adena told us she was pregnant. Waking up for midnight feedings, late-night diaper changes, and baby sicknesses will be exhausting for her."

"I'll be there," Steve firmly told them. "I absolutely want to be a hands-on dad. I know a lot of men back in the old days left it to women to raise the kids, but I want to be involved with my son or daughter."

Pietro gave a small chuckle. "So no nannies, then? I heard rumors around the Palace that the King would be happy to pay for one, in case you are both overwhelmed."

"Don't say 'no' to that," Sam hurriedly said. "At least think about it. This is your first kid, after all; you'll both be new to the whole thing, and having someone help around the house might turn out for the best. Maybe not a nanny; I'm thinking maybe a maid, or someone to tidy the place up once in a while, when Adena's too drained to do much."

Steve hated the idea of hired help, and he knew Adena did, too. They were both used to fending for themselves, and the thought of someone coming to do their laundry, vacuum the carpets, and dust was just plain silly.

On the other hand, if caring for their baby and doing chores was too much for her, it might not be such a bad idea…

"I'll think about it," Steve reluctantly agreed. "But I'll need to talk to Adena, first."

Bucky shook his head. "You'd better talk to her sooner rather than later. In a few months, her stomach will be so big, and she will be so miserable and tired, she won't be able to do much more than sit or lie around, nap, and eat. I'd ask the King's for a maid, but hold off on the nanny for a while."

Again, the men all agreed, but Cyan was looking rather thoughtful. "I could assist with the maintaining of the house," he offered. "I do not require sleep, and can easily attend Adena during the final months or weeks of her pregnancy, and beyond."

That idea made Steve feel more comfortable. He trusted Cyan, and knew that the android would do everything possible to help Adena, and protect her.

"I like it," Pietro stated, rising a shot glass full of vodka. "A good fit all around."

"But you're not made for cooking, cleaning, and playing bodyguard," Bucky protested. "You could do so much good working for the King, or finding ways to get the new Accords passed."

Cyan shook his head. "No. I want to help Adena. It was what I was first designed for, as a portable computer, and it is what I would like to do now. I would also be able to assist in protecting your offspring, should it be required."

The thought of a guard for his child was even better, and best of all, Adena probably wouldn't mind having someone she knew and trusted helping to keep watch over her and their baby.

"Before you settle on that," Sam loudly said, giving Steve a pointed look, "You might want to talk to your wife about this …preferably before the mood swings kick in, and _she_ ends up kicking _you_."

"Good point," Steve admitted, putting away the thought for another time. "Sam, is there any more of that spicy melted cheese dip you brought?"

His friend rolled his eyes and went to retrieve a large casserole dish from the fridge. "Give me a second to warm this one up." As he put plastic wrap from the bowl, Sam shook his head and grinned. "It's a good thing I made three of these. You, Bucky and Pietro already polished off the first one."

"Hyper metabolism," Pietro declared as he helped himself to the tub of guacamole sitting in the middle of the table.

Bucky raised his hand. "Same here," he reminded them. "And with Steve, too. Next time we hold one of these parties, multiply the snacks you want to bring by three."

The men all chuckled and dug into the dip as soon as Sam set it in the middle of the table.

* * *

"So, how did it go?" Steve asked, trying to sound nonchalant, even though he had a feeling that a ton of baby things were going to be brought over in the morning.

Adena yawned and fell back in the bed, sighing as her head landed on the pillows. "Great," she smiled. "Wanda sure knows how to throw a shower. The food was great, and I have to remember the name of the brand of sparkling juice we had, so that we can get some for Christmas and New Year's. There's a mountain of gifts that Bucky can help you bring over tomorrow; half of them are sporting your trademark star, courtesy of a prank played by everyone there."

Steve rolled his eyes. "Tony had a hand in that somehow, didn't he?"

His wife grinned and rolled onto her side so that she could face him better. "In a way; but you have to admit, a star on baby clothes is _adorable_."

He wrinkled his nose. " _Never_ let Tony or Pepper hear you say that," Steve pleaded. "I don't want him calling me 'adorable' if ever I'm in my uniform again."

She reached out to place a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You'll wear it. The U.N. will accept a new version of the Accords, and you'll be an Avenger again."

She sat up and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "And you'll always be Captain America to me…and to our child."

Steve couldn't help but smile. "That's all that counts."

Then he kissed her, softly and sweetly. "Good night, beautiful," he whispered as he reached behind him to turn out the lights.

"Good night, my handsome Captain," she murmured as they snuggled down under the covers.

* * *

AN: Next up, Christmas, with a few surprise guests!

Please be kind and review? Thanks!


	5. A Surprising Christmas

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing associated with _**Marvel, Captain America, the Avengers, etc**_. Only original characters and ideas are mine.

AN: I'm so sorry for not posting this sooner, but it's been a rough couple of weeks. Without going into too many details: I'm struggling through a bad cough and cold, and we've had a loss in the family, so that's why the slow update.

Anyway, here's the next short story. Please enjoy, and don't forget to review. Thanks.

 **A Surprising Christmas** :

Steve was worried.

Watching Adena pace back and forth through their house, he felt as though his heart was staring to march up his throat. She had been a bit moody lately, and the heat of the African country was beginning to make things even more difficult for her. Hardly a day went by where she wasn't complaining about how hot, sticky, uncomfortable, and gross she felt. To her, sweating in December wasn't natural.

"I want cold weather," she whined. "I want ice and snow, and puffy coats and scarves!"

The weather wasn't the only thing on her mind, either -and grumpiness wasn't the only mood she was feeling. By now, her emotions were in full swing, going from one extreme to the other. One minute, she was thrilled about being a mother; the other, she was depressed about her parents not being around to talk to, or her brother to share private sibling jokes with.

The next day, Adena would be thrilled that Christmas, her favorite holiday, was coming. But then, a few hours later, she would gaze longingly out the window, mumbling about snowflakes, Christmas trees, and candy canes.

Most of these things, Steve knew he would be able to find a cure for. He could set up another secured chat session with his in-laws through Sunny and T'Challa's tech teams. The Wakandan King could also order any kind of holiday food or trinket Adena could dream up or want.

But when it came down to it, Steve knew that Adena's mood swings were something else, too. They were a means for her to admit that she was homesick -and there was nothing he could do to fix it.

Not being able to help his wife ate at him, and as he watched her pace like a restless cat, Steve knew a visit to their new neighbors might be a good idea.

* * *

"It's driving me crazy, Buck," Steve blurted out to his friend. "I want to help her, to do anything and everything I can for her, but I can't! She should have her family with her during her pregnancy, but that's impossible, and it's all my fault!"

"Steve, stop blabbing and sit down," Bucky said, pointing him towards a dining room chair. "Stop blaming yourself, too. This whole thing wasn't entirely your fault, and you know it. Besides, Adena loves you, and she knows how things in life can be unpredictable. Now, tell me what's really bothering you."

Steve took a deep breath. "I guess the whole Christmas holiday thing has me on edge. It's our first one far away from any of her family, and I can see how much strain its causing Adena. She's used to being in the same country as her family, and now we're not even on the same _continent_. I want to give her a nice Christmas, since she at least deserves that, but the warm weather is throwing things off for her, and it's making her grumpy."

Bucky snorted in amusement. "Steve, it's not just the weather making her moody. Her body is changing, and her hormones are going haywire. That's perfectly normal. You are doing everything you can to try and support her, but there's no way you can make her 100% happy during this time."

Steve heaved a heavy sigh and collapsed into the chair his friend was nudging towards him. "I know, but I hate feeling helpless."

"Then talk to someone," Bucky advised. "Not me; I can't do much besides lend a sympathetic ear, and after a while, even my patience has its limits. Why not call Pepper or Laura for advice, or even ask T'Challa for some ideas?"

"I had thought about calling them, but I doubt there's much any of them can do," Steve admitted. "I really did just want someone to talk to about this."

Rising from his seat, Bucky retrieved two cups and poured out some coffee for them both. "Steve, it's time to stop talking and take action. I know that there are thousands of women who are trying to handle being pregnant in a foreign country, but your situation is very unusual. Go call up some friends who aren't here in Wakanda, and see what you can come up with. Otherwise, you and Adena will drive each other crazy."

Damn it, he was right. When had Steve Rogers turned away from conflict?

' _When your wife got pregnant_ , _and things went out of your control_ ,' part of his brain reminded him.

Well, it was time to take charge and get to work.

* * *

"Wait, Steve," I said, trying to stop Steve from packing our suitcases. "We're going _where_?"

"Switzerland!" he cheerfully informed me. "It's neutral territory, and the Swiss government has agreed to let us stay there as long as we need. Apparently they don't really approve of the Accords, either, so they're willing to take on the U.N and the U.S. if they have a problem with us visiting there."

"Steve, please stop and explain this whole thing to me," I demanded planting my growing bulk in front of him. "Now, take this from the top."

Steve quickly explained that he'd talked to Laura and Pepper, and they agreed that the weather in Wakanda wasn't doing me much good. "They said that some women love warm countries, but you aren't one of them. So, we tried thinking of nations that would allow us to visit, and Switzerland was Pepper's idea."

Okay, I understood that. Switzerland was known for staying out of global politics, or at least being neutral, and many nations held meetings, negotiations, and peace talks there, where they knew they'd be safe.

"It's also a lot cooler, and we can have a nice, quiet Christmas, with lots of snow and lights," Steve pointed out in a very persuasive voice.

Christmas in a nation that wasn't going to try and hunt down me or my husband? That pretty much did it for me. Add in cold weather and beautiful mountain scenery, and you had the formula for a perfect holiday vacation (which was exactly what I needed).

"I'll help pack," I said, rushing to my closet with a grin on my face. "When do we leave?"

Steve chuckled and went to pack his own suitcase. "Tomorrow. I told the King our plans, and T'Challa insisted that we use the house _his_ family uses whenever they're in Switzerland. It's a beautiful place in a quiet neighborhood outside the capital, near lots of shops and restaurants."

That sounded perfect, and I said so. "Will it be just the two of us?"

My husband shook his head. "Anna and Bucky will join us a few days before Christmas, so we'll have a week to walk around and explore the place. T'Challa said we can do whatever we want to celebrate the holiday, but we'll need to clean up before we leave -whenever that is."

I couldn't wait to finish packing, and was done just before we went to bed. I spent the night dreaming of pine trees, dazzling lights, and snow on the ground, all things I'd been longing for.

The next morning, after we hugged Bucky and Anna 'goodbye,' with promises of seeing one another in a week or so, Steve and I boarded a private plane to our European destination.

* * *

Switzerland at Christmas was like living inside a holiday card, or a television Christmas special. The town we were in had lights _everywhere_ , and many of the streets had markets selling every kind of Christmas item you could ever dream of. Sweets and other delicious goodies glistened in shop windows, beckoning people inside to get a closer look and buy something. There was even a fair, with rides and game stalls crowded with children and teens that ignored the falling snow in favor of the possibility of winning a trinket from the games they played.

Shivering with delight inside my thick, puffy coat, I snuggled against Steve's side and stopped to watch children run by, broad grins on their faces as they made their way to the carousel. The ride filled the air with happy chimes, and I felt a sudden urge to go and indulge my nostalgic memories of riding one as a child.

"Steve," I said, giving him a pleading look, "Can we ride the carousel? Please?"

He gave me that sweet, loving smile of his, which sent warmth straight to my toes. "I'd like that, but we promised to be back for dinner, remember? We've already spent all day window shopping."

I pouted, but gave in. We had spent the past three days looking at every store window, and if I had a ton of money, I'd have filled T'Challa's house with a mountain of stuff by now. I had never seen such beautifully crafted items, and the urge to do some Christmas shopping was killing me. I had spotted a set of Christmas ornaments that would go perfectly on my parents' tree, and a dozen kinds of sweets that could go out to any of our Avenger friends as treats to be eaten on Christmas day.

"Remind me to buy T'Challa a 'thank-you' gift," I told Steve as we passed a chocolatier shop, my nose twitching at the heavenly aromas drifting out the open door. "Do you think we could-?"

He gave a firm tug on my hand. "No. You ruined your appetite last time, remember, and didn't eat much of your dinner. It made the staff wonder if they'd made something that offended you, and I had to spend an _hour_ assuring them that it wasn't their fault, and that you'd simply eaten too many chocolate samples."

I blushed. "I couldn't help it! It's _chocolate_ , I'm _pregnant_ , and we're in _Switzerland_! What else was I supposed to do?"

Steve chuckled and led me down the street, back to the quiet lane where we were staying. In this particular area, large homes were the norm, and the one belonging to the Wakandan Royal Family didn't stand out from the others. At least, it _looked_ as ordinary as the others; but appearances could be deceiving.

This particular area sported homes belonging to the rich and famous, and they tended to take their privacy (and security) very seriously. Walls were high, and gates were not only tall, they were electrified. There were cameras, too, and sensors that would put Fort Knox to shame. Still, it made us feel safe, and that was what mattered. And it wasn't just secure and big; it was beautiful, too.

The 'house' was actually a mansion. Besides the master bedroom suite, there were four other bedrooms, each with their own bathroom; three downstairs bathrooms; a kitchen; a pantry; a living room and a dining room; a den to watch movies; and a small library.

There was also a separate, smaller building that served as a home for the staff who chose to stay on-site. It also served as a base for the security detail assigned to the house. Right now, two guards and two house staff members lived there; and to our relief, they spoke fantastic English.

The two guards were a husband-and-wife pair, Liam and Nina, who patrolled the house regularly during the day, and kept a wireless alarm near them at night, in case. The house staff members were also married, with Noah, the husband, doing the cleaning and maintenance while his wife, Mia, cooked. If he had nothing to do at the house, Noah helped Mia in the kitchen with preparing the food.

As we entered the house, Noah came to meet us with cups of delicious Swiss hot cocoa on a tray, as well as a small plate of tiny pickles for me. He smiled when I happily reached for the warm mug and the plate, but pulled them back so that I could take off my coat without juggling.

"Dinner will be ready in twenty minutes," he announced. "You two warm up while we finish."

I took my mug and small plate into the living room, and gently set both down on a side table. "Steve, could we do some Christmas shopping tomorrow?" I pleaded as I popped a pickle in my mouth. "I'm going to make a list tonight, and tomorrow, we can get something for all of our friends. What do you think?"

He grinned. "I like it. And I like seeing you so happy, Adena. I think the change in scenery had done a lot of good."

I chuckled and rubbed my swollen belly, which was getting pretty noticeable by this point. "Yeah, cold weather is my friend, and I think the baby likes it, too."

"Or maybe it's the chocolate it likes," said a familiar voice from the doorway.

Giving a squeak in surprise, I whirled around in my chair as Steve leapt to his feet, automatically shifting into 'protective mode.' When we both saw who it was, I nearly fainted.

"Oh, my god," I whispered as I got up and went towards the doorway. "Tony Stark, _what the hell are you doing here_?"

The billionaire smirked and shrugged. "Pepper told me what you two had planned for the holidays, and I figured this would be a good time to talk."

He turned towards Steve and offered a hand. "That is, if you're still willing to talk to me?"

Coming up beside me, Steve reached out and took Tony's hand. "Dinner should be ready soon. Why don't you join us?"

* * *

I shouldn't have been surprised that he was here.

Apparently, after Pepper had advised Steve to get me to Switzerland, she'd mentioned the fact to Tony, who immediately ordered his plane ready. He had actually arrived the same day we had, but had struggled for two days to find the right way to approach us. He'd finally asked Pepper to call T'Challa, and have him tell the guards to let Tony surprise us at the house, so that we could chat.

Over our scrumptious meal of roast chicken in a tomato cream sauce over pasta, with savory roasted potatoes in cheese sauce on the side, Tony explained that he'd been wanting to visit us for some time, but felt that some 'bad blood' still existed between him and Steve, so he'd stayed away.

"I said a lot of things all those months ago," he admitted. "A lot of it was out of anger, but I admit, some of it I did mean. I know that's no excuse, but you can't blame a guy for wanting justice and vengeance for his parents' murder."

Steve looked ready to leap to Bucky's defense, but I put a hand on his arm to stop him. "Tony, I know you want that, but HYDRA is gone," I gently reminded him. "The ones who ordered their deaths are probably all dead. I think the real reason you're angry is because there's no one left to answer for that crime. Right now, the best way to honor your parents is to provide justice to those who need it, and bring in the ones who deserve it. Please don't go blaming a poor guy who has been tortured, brainwashed, and turned into a tool against his will. It might make you feel better, but it's _wrong_."

Tony sighed and leaned back in his chair, staring at the glass of water in front of him. "Seriously, Steve, don't you guys have anything stronger in this place? I mean, it's a royal house! There's _got_ to be some kind of alcohol in this place!"

I rolled my eyes at him. "Tony, I'm pregnant, remember? T'Challa didn't want to risk me drinking something alcoholic, so the staff removed it all."

Noah, who had been slipping in and out of the room serving us, cleared his throat. "Actually, we moved it from this house and into the workers' quarters. I can bring Mr. Stark a drink, if he doesn't mind waiting a few moments."

Tony looked like he was going to either break out dancing, or pass out. "I swear, if you get me a scotch or a whiskey, I will _totally_ make it worth your while."

With a nod, Noah headed out to fetch his drink. "So, any holiday plans while you're here?" Tony casually asked. "Besides being bored out of your minds? I mean, I love Switzerland and all, it's a beautiful country, but besides skiing, what are your plans?"

Steve eyed him closely. "Please don't tell me that you want to invite my pregnant wife to a crazy Christmas gathering at your place."

Noah reappeared at that point, a large silver tray in his hands that had much more than a bottle of booze. Working quickly, he hastily poured Tony a scotch on the rocks (leaving the bottle, of course), set a box of exquisite chocolates on the table for us to nibble on, and placed beside it a glass pitcher of cold milk, with two glasses beside it. His work done, Noah slipped out of the room and shut the large double doors, giving us some much needed privacy.

"Tony, are you inviting us to your place for Christmas?" I asked, feeling just as suspicious of him as Steve was. "Because it seems like there's some other motivation behind your invite."

He shrugged. "All I know is that Pepper is dying to see you. Trust me, you'd be doing me a huge favor by coming over."

I immediately dropped the piece of chocolate I was holding. "Pepper's here, too? Why didn't you tell me? She could have joined us!"

Tony smiled and shrugged again. "She's busy right now, getting the place ready for Christmas. Why don't you come over in a few days? We'll have everything ready for a nice dinner and gifts by then. Don't let her efforts go to waste."

Steve looked over at me and smiled. "We wouldn't miss it for the world."

* * *

Adena spent the next two days Christmas shopping. Food, gifts, trinkets, and all sorts of other things made their way into her shopping bags, and it took an entire third day to sort everything out.

"I love the holidays," she said with a broad grin on her face as she shifted through her purchases.

If there was one thing Steve loved about his wife, it was seeing her face light up when she was happy. There was a liveliness to her as she finished sorting, wrapping, and labeling gifts for Tony and Pepper, and she actually burst into Christmas carols as she did the same to the mountain of presents she'd bought for the other Avengers. At dinner tonight, Adena was going to ask Tony to take a portion of the gifts with him to the States, while she sent the rest to Wakanda.

"I wish Anna was here, but she'll arrive by tomorrow night," Adena was saying as she picked up a lovely box, the gold material of the wrapping paper shimmering in the light as she turned it. "I can't believe it's only a few days away!"

Steve chuckled and went to her side, stepping through the maze of items piled in areas across the floor. "If you're this generous with our friends, I think our baby is going to be very spoiled next year," he teased.

She laughed and tossed a clump of ribbon at him. "Stop that! Parents _should_ spoil their babies at Christmas; it's when they get older that you have to start warning them about Santa keeping an eye on them, if you want to keep them in line!"

He laughed along with her and leaned over to press a kiss to her lips. "Are you finished? It's time to get ready for dinner with Tony and Pepper."

Adena sighed and set aside the box she was wrapping. "I'm done. That was the last box, so I guess I should go and get ready."

The change in her mood puzzled him. "What's wrong, beautiful? Is something bothering you?"

She shrugged. "Maternity clothes. I can't fit into any of my old things, so when we stopped by that clothing store yesterday, I bought some maternity wear."

Patting the swelling bump that was their child, Adena sighed. "I know that I'm not actually fat, but it's a big step to a pregnant woman. Some love it, some hate it, and I guess I'm the latter. It takes a bit, getting used to it."

He leaned over and kissed her again. "Well, _I_ think you're gorgeous no matter what you wear."

Smiling, she accepted the kiss, and returned it. "And that's all that matters, isn't it?" she whispered. "Now, help me up. Your baby makes getting to my feet impossible!"

Laughing, he did so.

* * *

"You look fantastic," Steve whispered as we headed into Tony's house.

I was too busy being cold to answer. I had a warm coat on, but that didn't protect my legs and feet from the chill in the air. I was immediately wondering if the knee-length red dress I'd chosen was a bad idea, but before I could turn and ask Liam to drive me home to change, Steve had pulled me into Tony's mansion. Enveloped by warmth, my grumpiness vanished, and I let our host take my coat while Pepper pulled me into a huge hug.

"You look fabulous!" she squealed. "That dress is fantastic!"

I blushed a little, but said nothing. It _was_ a nice dress, though it was also rather simple. Form-fitting on the sides, it gave me a flattering figure while showing off my baby bump a little. The sleeves were short and fluttery, and a layer of red-and-gold cotton tulle over the top of the dress made it shimmer a little in the house lights.

Pepper was elegant in a teal gown that went down to her ankles, her hair pulled up into a simple ponytail tied in a matching ribbon. "Oh, you brought presents! Put those on this table, then come with me. I want to give you a tour of the house."

Since a walk was bound to warm up my currently frozen body parts, I happily agreed. Pepper led us towards a set of closed doors on the far side of the house and turned the knobs.

"This is the grand ballroom," she said, smiling. "I wanted to make it look like it belonged in the Nutcracker ballet, with a huge decorated tree and lights everywhere. I hope you'll like it."

Then the doors opened, and I couldn't hold back tears at the sight that greeted us.

* * *

"You are one sneaky billionaire," Steve told the man next to him, jabbing an elbow into the man's side.

With a shrug, Tony finished the beef slider in his hand and picked up a glass of sparkling cider. "Hey, Pepper's the one who wanted to get this done. I just paid for everything." Then he grinned. "Besides, it was worth every penny, seeing the look on your wife's face."

In a far corner, Adena sat with Pepper, Laura (with toddler Nathaniel in her lap), Natasha, Wanda, and Anna. On the floor in front of them, Lila was curled up with a stuffed lioness toy that was bigger than she was (a Christmas gift from Natasha). The little girl was filling all the adult females in on everything she'd done so far in school that year, and the women were eating it all up.

Occasionally, Lila would perk up and ask Adena about the baby and if she could rub her tummy, to see if the baby was kicking. Unlike with adults, Adena was more than happy to let a child rub her stomach, so she let Lila do so whenever she was asked.

"I cannot believe you gathered all of us here for Christmas," Steve muttered, sipping his own cider. He knew it was killing Tony not to be drinking, but with a pregnant woman and three kids running around, everything here was non-alcoholic.

Coming up to join them, Clint Barton rolled his eyes. "Yeah, Stark. You _do_ realize that, at some point, Secretary Ross is going to hear about this, and when he does, he'll blow a gasket."

Tony shrugged. "When you do everything fast-paced and leave almost no hints or evidence behind, it's pretty easy to sneak past government protocols. Besides, for all they know, we 'legitimate' Avengers are gathering in a neutral country for some time off and to celebrate the holidays. And if we _happen_ to meet up with you other guys, well…"

The three men turned and looked at the group of females, all centered around a glowing woman with a grin on her face that was so bright, it put the sparkling Christmas tree to shame.

"Yeah, totally worth it," Steve muttered with a proud smile.

* * *

"Did you have a good time?" Steve asked as Liam drove us through the streets. It was snowing lightly, but since it was long after midnight, the roads were quiet.

Snuggling against his shoulder, I smiled up at him. "Of course! Well, except for when Tony kept rubbing my belly and telling our baby to 'remember their Uncle Tony.' He _does_ realize he's not going to be the baby's _actual_ uncle, right?"

Steve snorted, pulling me close. "He'd better. If not, you'll have to get Pepper to talk to him."

"What did all you boys talk about, while I was with the girls?" I asked, yawning. "You looked busy."

As the car pulled into the driveway, Steve yawned as well. "Sports, a bit of politics with the Accords, and how everyone's doing. Vision and Cyan spent all night comparing the different social 'do-and-don't' things they've learned since they last saw each other, which the rest of us stayed out of. Mostly, the guys wanted to know when we could all hang out together again, before we had to part ways. I think Pietro mentioned ice hockey, but I don't think the others took him seriously."

"Tomorrow," I replied as Liam parked, then rushed to open the car doors for us. "Pepper says the soonest they can get everyone on a plane back was in two days, so you'll have time for 'guy stuff.'"

Stepping into the house, I let Noah take my coat. I had just started for the main stairway when I heard familiar voices calling my name from the living room. Turning, I almost fainted.

"Oh, my god! Mom! Dad!"

* * *

AN: I know, a bit of a cliffhanger. Next up, a short New Year's chapter. Then there'll be a Valentine's one in February.

Review?


	6. New Year, New Decisions

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing associated with _**Marvel, Captain America, the Avengers, etc**_. Only original characters and ideas are mine.

AN: I meant to post this chapter a few weeks ago, but so far, the end of 2016 and the start of 2017 are not going well for me. Between the holidays, a loss in the family, and getting sick _three times_ in a month (cough, flu and a cold), this chapter got put on the back burner.

Anyway, this is more of a filler chapter, until I write my Valentine's Day one (which will hopefully be longer). I hope that everyone had a pleasant holiday season, and a Happy New Year.

 **New Year, New Decisions :**

Sitting on the couch with my mom on one side, and my dad on the other, I let Mom hand me a glass of fruit juice and tried not to show how drained (and huge) I felt. My parents had arrived the day before Christmas Eve, and for a while, things had been fun. Now, they were exhausting.

Our holiday had been spent together with friends and family. On Christmas Eve, a huge dinner had been served at Tony's mansion. His chefs had worked tirelessly to make half a dozen perfectly tender roast geese, with all sorts of delicious side dishes, and individual chocolate tortes that had all of us practically licking the plates, just to get every bit of it.

Since we'd already had the gift-giving a couple days prior, Christmas Day was pretty subdued. Once again, Tony and Pepper had everyone over, but rather than stay inside, everyone (except me, Laura and baby Nathaniel) bundled up and headed into the vast backyard to play in the snow. It'd been hilarious, watching from the window as everyone broke into teams and threw heaps of snowballs around. Steve's team won, of course; he had Sam and Bucky, and with all the military training between them, I wasn't surprised.

Laura had been worried about the kids slipping and getting hurt, but with all the superheroes hanging around keeping an eye on them, the kids were perfectly safe. When even the kids started getting chilly, the whole group stampeded inside for hot cocoa and heaps of tasty snacks, to fill growling stomachs. The enormous mansion echoed with laughter, jokes, stories, and excited, hyperactive kids running around. It was the best kind of Christmas anyone could hope for, and I wished it could have gone on longer.

Sadly, all of the other Avengers had to leave the following day, returning to the States or to Wakanda.

Left alone with my parents and brother, Steve and I spent days walking the town with them; exploring all the quaint markets, cozy shops, and trying any kind of food samples that were offered to us. Even Marcus had had fun shopping, though Dad had forbid him to buy the pair of handcrafted wooden skis that he wanted.

New Year's Eve had been much more festive than Christmas. The town basically held its own huge party to celebrate the New Year, with fireworks in the streets and launched into the sky, as well as live music in the town square, with people dancing and celebrating everywhere.

Yup, the holidays had been fun. Now, unfortunately, they were over, and without anything festive to distract her, my mother was doing what most grandmas-to-be do with their pregnant daughters: she _hovered_.

Every day, Mom wanted to know how I was doing, what I was eating, whether I was taking my vitamins, and if I was getting enough sleep. She also didn't like how I had gone from nice, warm Wakanda to freezing cold Switzerland.

I was constantly reassuring her that I was fine; that I was eating healthy (at least while she was watching); and informing her every hour that I had a strict list of vitamins that my doctors had given me the day I'd left Wakanda. (I'd told my medical team that I had no idea when I would be back, so they'd all given me at least three months of everything they thought I'd need.)

As for leaving Wakanda: the choice had been a no-brainer. I was much more comfortable in cold weather, and since I was the one who was pregnant, everyone was willing to go along with whatever made me happy.

' _Lucky for me, the Swiss government doesn't care how long we stay, as long as we're good, quiet, and don't cause any trouble_.'

Unfortunately, they weren't as generous towards my Avenger friends. According to Pepper, the Swiss government had limitations on that sort of thing. They'd allowed the team to gather for the holidays, but anything longer than a few days required permission. Steve didn't like having me 'unprotected,' but before leaving, Cyan had promised to return to my side when the baby's due date got closer.

"I have the greatest confidence in Captain Rogers and the Swiss government in ensuring your safety," the blue android told me as he was getting ready to depart. "During the next several months, I will study everything I can locate online and in books about infant care, in order to better assist you with the care of your offspring."

So, it was just me, Mom, Dad, Marcus, and Steve.

' _I still can't believe Tony flew them out here_ ,' I thought with a sigh as Marcus brought me a plate of small finger sandwiches. Smiling, I reached for the plate, but Mom moved to stop me.

"Sweetie, I don't think you should have those now," she said, trying to get her hands on the plate.

Lucky for me, Dad intervened. "Honey, let her have them," he insisted, taking the plate from Marcus, who looked like a trapped animal, since he didn't know which parent to obey.

"She shouldn't be eating so close to dinner!" Mom huffed, trying to swipe the plate, and failing.

Dad rolled his eyes and handed me one of the small sandwiches. "Kate, I remember what you were like when you were pregnant. The sheer amount of pizza you ate practically put all of Italy to shame."

Sensing a fight coming on, I quickly took the sandwich plate and slipped off the couch. "Well, I'm going to go get ready for dinner!" I cheerfully said. "Marcus, maybe you should go wash up?"

My baby brother threw me a grateful look and booked it out of the room. Rescuing him was a reflex -anytime our folks looked on the brink of a 'fight,' I swooped in and got him out of there before things turned ugly.

Carrying my goodies upstairs, I sighed as I headed into the master bedroom, where I sank into the soft cushions of the window seat. The large window itself overlooked the backyard, which was blanketed in pure, glittering white snow. There were several trees scattered about, but at this time of year, they were all bare.

"Hiding?" Steve softly teased as he slipped into the room.

I let him join me on the seat and offered him the plate. He accepted both a sandwich and the seat, his face waring between concern and amusement. "Are they driving you crazy already?" he asked, fully ready to sympathize with me (which was just what I wanted).

"Yes!" I huffed, shifting so that I was curled up against him. "I mean, I love seeing them and everything, but with the holidays over…"

Steve's arm automatically went around my shoulders. After he finished eating, his free hand went to my belly. "Well, they _have_ been here for several weeks, but they're due to fly out in a couple more days. Try and enjoy it while you can."

I sighed and joined him in rubbing my widening stomach. "And then it's back to Wakanda. With all of our friends and family gone, I guess the vacation is over."

When Steve didn't immediately reply, I looked over at him. "What is it? Something's bothering you; I can tell."

He fidgeted a little; a sure sign that something was on his mind. "I was thinking about how much more comfortable you were here than in Wakanda. I know that our friends are there, and that we have a house to go back to, but the heat and humidity just makes you miserable."

The message he was trying to say hit me. "You want to stay _here_?" I gasped. "But Steve, what about Bucky and Anna? If I can't have my parents with me, I at least want my cousin sitting me when I give birth."

He smiled at me. "I've no doubt that one of our wealthy, well-connected friends will somehow find a way for your parents to be with you when the big day arrives. But I can't stand the thought of you suffering when you're pregnant, and we both know that if you're miserable, it'll take a toll on your health, which will affect the baby's health. So, for both of your sakes, I say we stay here, where you'll be comfortable until after you give birth. Then, we can go back to Wakanda. Or, if the UN has agreed to a new version of the Accords, we can go back to New York. What do you think?"

"I think I love you," I whispered, tilting my head so that I could kiss him.

"I hope so," he teased. "You _are_ having my baby."

* * *

"Bye, pumpkin," Dad whispered as he hugged me close.

Then he pulled back and leaned over to talk to my stomach, which he'd constantly been doing during his stay with us. "And bye to you, little one," he crooned to the baby inside of me. "Grandpa will see you soon, and when he does, he'll bring lots of toys for you to play with."

I didn't have the heart to tell him that Tony Stark had already given us enough stuff to fill _three_ nurseries.

' _At least he isn't going on about playing catch with his grandbaby_.' For some reason, Dad really had his heart set on making my child a football fan. I had a feeling that, next time I saw him, he would be holding two small footballs: one blue, one pink.

"Now, don't forget to call me the _minute_ you start feeling contractions," Mom ordered. "We're doing everything we can to try and come see you in a few months, but if anything starts happening early, you call. Understand?"

Considering all of my Avenger friends had pretty much given me the same command, I just did what I'd done with them: I smiled and nodded.

"Don't worry, Mom," I tried to reassure her. "I've got the best doctors keeping an eye on me." I paused. "And Steve, of course."

My husband rolled his eyes and went to hug my mother. "We'll see you soon," he said to my parents.

Marcus had already said his 'goodbyes,' and was waiting out in the car. "I'll be seeing you as soon as my little niece or nephew arrives anyway," he muttered before heading out the door.

' _He never was one for goodbyes_ ,' I thought with a small smile. ' _Oh, well_.'

After the car had vanished into the town streets, I leaned my head against Steve's shoulder as he led me inside. "It's going to be so _quiet_ ," I muttered as we headed into the living room. "I mean, I'll be glad of it for a few days, but then it might drive me crazy."

"Well," Steve said in a playful drawl, "You could always call Anna and tell her we'll be staying here for the foreseeable future. _That_ will put an end to the quiet."

He ran into the hallway, avoiding the smack I'd aimed at him. Ignoring his laughter, I looked at Sunny and sighed. This was _not_ a call I wanted to make.

* * *

"How did she take it?" my husband asked, stepping into the living room after taking a cautious peek inside. "I didn't hear a lot of yelling or cursing."

When he saw what I was holding, he winced. "The big container of ice cream? Was it that bad?"

I shrugged. "Not much yelling, but she was upset. I think she was really looking forward to hovering over me during my pregnancy, but I think she understood why I was staying here. What's healthy for me is healthy for the baby, right?"

Steve came over and sat beside me, putting an arm around my shoulders. "It'll be okay. I'm here, and the others can visit. In fact, I'm willing to bet that Natasha will come see you more often. Isn't she always hopping around Europe?"

That didn't make me feel much better, but I appreciated his efforts, and said so. "I'm just glad that we're together," I sighed, spooning some chocolate ice cream into my mouth. "If you'd left the States without me, or we'd been forced to separate by the government, I'd totally be losing it by now."

He leaned over and pressed a kiss to my forehead. "I'm here for you, love."

Smiling, I pulled a spoon out of my pocket. "Care to join me for some ice cream and a movie? I'll even let you pick."

Luckily, he chose _Star Wars_ , the original trilogy. With new snow falling outside, and Noah bringing in trays of snacks and hot drinks, it made for a perfect, quiet evening.

* * *

AN: Next up will be a Valentine's Day chapter. Please be kind and review? Thanks.


	7. Pregnancy Plans

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing associated with _**Marvel, Captain America, the Avengers, etc**_. Only original characters and ideas are mine.

AN: I was going to do a Valentine's Day short story, but once again got put down by a cold and a stomach virus (yes, winter has been very cruel to me this year). Needless to say, by the time I got better, it was too late. So instead, here's a look into the baby-planning life of Steve and Adena! Only a couple more months before the little one arrives! Enjoy, and please don't forget to review!

 **Pregnancy Plans :**

Steve Rogers was terrified.

It wasn't an enemy, or a war, though, that caused his fear. It was his pregnant wife and the fact that she was looking at the floor-length mirror, frowning at her reflection. Soon, she was going to ask if she looked fat, and if he gave the wrong answer, Hell was going to break loose.

' _I'd rather face a squad of HYDRA assassins_.'

Taking a deep breath, he waited with bated breath.

"I shouldn't have eaten all that chocolate over Valentine's Day," Adena muttered, rubbing her stomach as she check out her butt. "I mean, no pun intended, Steve, it was very sweet of you to get me a box of it, but you probably should have just stuck with the roses and silver bracelet."

He smiled. It had been their last Valentine's Day as a couple, and even though Steve had wanted to shower her with tokens of his affection, he knew she wouldn't want that. So, he'd stuck with the traditional gifts: chocolate, roses, and a lovely piece of jewelry.

When she'd first gotten them, Adena had loved all three; now, in this particularly delicate situation, he was on tricky ground. If he said she looked fine, she would say she was fat and ugly, and start yelling, crying, or both. If he agreed with her, she'd simply start yelling -and possibly crying. And if he stayed silent, she'd think he agreed with her, or something a lot worse.

Basically, he was trapped. Soon, she would start looking at him, waiting for an answer that he didn't want to give.

It was time for him to use one of the tips Clint Barton, experienced father of three, had given him over Christmas.

"Distract her," Barton had said, completely serious. "Flattery won't work; she'll think you're lying and then start crying. _Do not_ , under any circumstances, offer her food –that will just make her think she's a pig, and then she'll start crying or yelling. Silence is the worst. But a distraction is always a good thing."

When Steve had asked what kind of distraction he should use, Barton shrugged. "As long as it's not food, anything will work. Suggest a nice, long, romantic walk through town, or some shopping. Buy a copy of her favorite type of book or magazine, and hold onto it for just that sort of situation."

"Jewelry," Tony had put in. "Works wonders. Women love pretty, shiny objects."

Steve had rolled his eyes and sighed. "They aren't cats, Tony; they're human beings."

On the other hand, Clint and Tony were right. Adena might not be one for jewelry, but if he put enough effort into it, he might find enough stuff to distract her right up until the baby was born.

"Steve?" she softly called to him. "Steve, are you okay? Have you wandered off again?"

Her voice was teasing, not demanding, and when he looked up at her, she was actually smiling a little. Somehow holding back a sigh of relief, Steve returned the smile with one of his own, and stood up.

"You know I love you no matter what, right?" he asked, putting his arms around her.

She pouted a little. "I know, but it's still nice to hear that I look decent, even if I'm big as a house."

It wasn't like Adena to fish for compliments, but Steve knew that the hormones and pregnancy were doing their work on her self-confidence. "I have something for you," he said, heading for the table on his side of the bed.

Sliding open the drawer, he retrieved a slim box the size of a book, wrapped in shimmering silver paper. Just as Clint and Tony had promised, her eyes lit up as her fingers reached for the package and began tearing through the wrapping.

A few seconds later, she pulled out a wood picture frame that he had purchased for their child. One half was shaped like a white star, and had a copy of the baby's first ultrasound in it. The other was a cute brown heart with white polka dots, empty and waiting for their first family photo, which Steve was going to have the nurses take right when his son or daughter was placed in Adena's arms.

After explaining the frame to his wife, Steve held his breath, hoping that she liked it. For a moment, there was silence –then the tears began.

"Oh, Steve, it's wonderful!" she exclaimed, reaching to pull him into a hug. "That's so thoughtful of you. I can't wait to put the baby's first picture in it!"

As he held her close, Steve felt Adena twitch slightly and gasp. Startled, he looked down at her. "Are you alright?" he asked, growing worried. "Are you in pain?"

The equally startled look she had on her face faded into pure joy. "Steve…the baby just kicked!"

He was still staring at her as she took his hand and placed it on the side of her belly. "Right there," she whispered. "Wait, maybe it'll happen again."

Seconds ticked by, and just as Steve was about to give up, he felt a small flutter sensation against his palm. "Was that it?" he breathed in wonder. "Was that the baby kicking?"

Adena nodded, a blissful look on her face as she caressed her belly. "It's a bit stronger for me, since it's kicking on the inside, but that was it. A few more weeks, and it'll be a lot more often, and stronger."

"That means it's healthy, right?" Steve asked, his hand still lingering where the kick had been, hoping to feel it again. "Kicking is good, right?"

She laughed and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Yes, kicking is good; don't worry."

He grinned. "Well, as a father-to-be, it's my job to worry about you both."

The baby kicked again, and this time, Adena winced. "Oh, I think that was my kidney he's playing soccer with."

"He?" Steve breathed. "You think it's a boy?"

Adena rolled her eyes. "Or she. But with that kick, it's possible I'm carrying the future Captain America in there."

Images flashed inside Steve's mind, of a young man fighting beside him, his father, as they battled enemy soldiers and aliens bent on destroying the world. With their connection to Wakanda, he could get matching shields, and uniforms!

A hand smacked against his chest. "No," his wife firmly said as she poked him in the chest with her index finger. "No matching Captain America outfits; and you're _not_ going to get a shield made for the baby. You are also _not_ going to raise our child to be a superhero if he or she doesn't want to be one."

As she settled onto the bed for a nap, Steve headed downstairs for a snack. ' _Well, she might not like the idea now, but it's still early. I've got a decade or two to wear her down_.'

* * *

"How are you feeling?" Natasha asked, smiling as I rubbed my belly. She was here on one of her many trips around the world, and had wanted to visit us for a while.

I shrugged. "You mean between the cravings, the bloating, the swollen ankles, exhaustion, heartburn and acid reflux? Not to mention the constant visits to the bathroom, and the inability to get up from a seated position?"

Nat grinned and picked up her coffee mug. "You love it, don't you? You're glowing."

She had a point. In spite of all the drawbacks, I didn't mind being pregnant –for the most part. Recently, the infamous 'pregnancy head' had settled in: I easily forgot things that I needed or wanted to do, or ended up standing in a room with no idea why I was there or what I'd been doing a few minutes before. It wasn't a serious condition or anything, but Steve had decided that he needed to keep a closer eye on me, just in case.

' _That might be why we don't have candles or matches anymore_ ,' I silently mused as Natasha poured another cup of tea for both of us.

"Hungry?" she offered, holding out a plate.

Carefully eying the food, I chose a cucumber sandwich and bit into it, wincing as my baby kicked me again. "Dang, this kid is getting feisty," I grumbled. "I don't know how Laura did this _three_ times!"

Natasha laughed. "Oh, sweetie, you should have seen her with Cooper! She's a sweet woman, like you, but when she was pregnant with her first, she was _fiery_! I think Clint purposely signed up for every mission he could while she was pregnant, just to avoid her mood swings."

"Well, Steve's not going anywhere, anytime soon," I replied, munching through my sandwich and reaching for one filled with smoked salmon and cream cheese. "In fact, sometimes he looks so bored, I wish he _did_ have missions to go on."

Actually, Steve's personal missions had pretty much involved assembling the baby's furniture. T'Challa already sent a ton of baby stuff from Wakanda, and my overly-eager husband had spent weeks putting it all together.

"The crib's done, and so is the diaper changing table," I counted on my fingers. "He spent three days studying the car seat manual, so that he could install it in any car we ride in, and we have bassinets in all areas of the house, so that we don't have to carry the baby all the way upstairs to sleep. Steve put those together in about a week, and he's very proud of them."

Natasha let out a low whistle. "Wow, that's impressive."

I sighed and rubbed my big belly. "Now he's upstairs fiddling with one of the strollers. It seems pretty simple to me, but Steve wants to make sure it's safe for the baby."

My red-headed friend grinned. "Actually, Steve seems like the kind of dad who would be happy to haul the baby around in one of those carriers on his chest."

The image that made in my head left me smiling. "That would be so adorable. I'm going to take a picture of that as soon as I can get one, and send it to you."

She chuckled. "Don't send it to Tony, though. He'll never let Steve live it down."

I rolled my eyes. "Trust me; there will probably be a ton of photos that we won't let anyone see. My aunts have emailed me horror stories about when they were pregnant with their first kids, so there will be lots of stuff Steve and I won't share with anyone, including our friends."

The baby kicked again, and I winced. "So, will you be back in a few months, for the birth? Anna and Bucky are coming, and Cyan, but I'm not sure about the rest of our friends."

A smirk flashed across Natasha's face, and I knew that something was up. "No! Don't tell me the _entire_ Avenger group is going to show up!"

She shrugged. "It's not every day two Avengers have a kid. I know," she said, holding up a hand, "You don't call yourself an Avenger, but we do. You're part of the team, so of course, we'll be here for the birth of your first born."

"That's sweet, but I doubt the hospital will let _all_ you guys in," I replied, trying to sound logical. "You'll all get a chance to hold the baby, though; I promise."

"You'd better," she mock threatened. "So, any ideas on what you'll name the little one?"

The mischievous gleam in her eye said it all. I sighed. "Let me guess: you've got a pool going, and you're hoping to win."

Just then, my body demanded a bathroom visit, and after I got back, I flopped down into my chair and sighed. "No names yet. Why, what's everyone betting on? Boy or girl names in general, or something specific?"

"A bit of both," Nat replied with a shrug. "Tony is betting you'll name the baby after him; something along the lines of Anthony or Antonia."

"Never happen," said a male voice from the doorway. I smiled as Steve walked over, pressed a kiss to my cheek and sat down beside me, taking my hand in his. "We are not naming our child after Tony Stark."

"What about other Avengers?" Natasha not-so-subtly hinted with a smile.

"No," I firmly replied. "The Bartons' already named their youngest after you, and we aren't trapping ourselves in a corner by favoring one or two Avengers over the other. So if it's a girl, we aren't naming her Wanda or Natasha, or Maria."

Steve nodded his agreement. "And if it's a boy, it won't be Tony or Pietro, or Clint. We won't even name him after Bucky, or Sam."

Actually…Sam seemed like a pretty good name…

Steve didn't know it, but every time I heard a name that sounded nice, I asked Sunny to add it to the list I was compiling. So far, there were at least a dozen on there, but I wasn't going to share them with Steve –at least, not yet.

During my pregnancy, Steve had decided that, rather than sit down and plan names for boys and girls, he wanted to be surprised. He truly wanted to name the baby after it was born, and somehow thought that he'd be able to come up with a name in a split second.

That was very unlike him. Steve Rogers was a man who typically loved planning things ahead of time, so that he wasn't caught unprepared. He'd already finished the baby's room here in Switzerland, constructing it so that everything could be taken apart or down off the walls when we moved back to Wakanda (or the States, if/when the time came). Even the baby's room in Wakanda was done, thanks to a lot of video chatting with Bucky and Anna, who had finished putting together everything there, under Steve's careful eye.

However, the naming of our baby was to be spontaneous, and Steve was determined to be surprised. So, I had to keep my list of names secret, right up to the point where I first held my first born son or daughter.

' _But that doesn't mean I can't do some secret planning of my own_.'

I had already imagined having a baby girl, who I could dress up in cute little dresses and shoes that would have people cooing over her. Then I pictured a feisty boy in little polo shirts and corduroy pants smiling up at his daddy as he chewed on a mini foam football.

But in spite of my warm, happy imaginings, I still had my worries. Right now, my biggest nightmare was that I was carrying twins. I was terrified of having two when I was expecting only one. Steve, on the other hand, would probably be ecstatic…as long as it wasn't twin girls.

' _I don't think the poor man would be able to handle the sheer power of two daughters begging him for attention, love, and toys that I wouldn't let them get_.'

"So, other than the not-choosing-a-name thing, everything's ready for the little one?" Natasha asked, sipping her tea. "I mean, there's got to be _something_ you're forgetting."

Steve shook his head and picked up a sandwich. "Nope; it's all done. Between all the stuff from Adena's baby shower, the gifts Tony's sent, and Christmas, we're all set."

"We just need to start reading baby manuals and care books," I said, rolling my eyes. "We still have to practice changing diapers, how to handle and schedule feedings, and figuring out how to get a decent night's sleep."

Natasha snorted and set down her drink. "Uh, yeah, you two have fun with that –but only _after_ I leave tomorrow. Right now, let's go shopping for cute baby clothes and grab some _real_ snack food. What do you say, Adena?"

Steve groaned as I smiled and struggled my way to my feet. "I thought you'd never ask! Let me grab my purse."

* * *

AN: Next up: the arrival of Baby Rogers! I haven't decided on a boy or girl yet, or the name, but like Steve, I'm waiting until the 'big day' arrives.

Please be kind, and don't forget to review! Thanks!


	8. Special Delivery!

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing associated with _**Marvel, Captain America, the Avengers, etc**_. Only original characters and ideas are mine.

AN: Finally, I'm back! I wanted to post this weeks ago, but real life got in the way, and we all know how that goes.

Anyway, here it is: the arrival of Steve and Adena's baby! And if you're interested in the future of this line of stories, please read the note at the end. Thanks, and please don't forget to review!

 **Special Delivery!**

"I want this over with," I grumbled, glaring at my huge belly. "You have my bag packed by the door, right?"

Steve gave a smile that was as strained as the dress I was wearing. "Yes, I've got three of them. One's by the front door, one already in the car, and another in the bedroom, to grab as we leave."

The stressed look in his eyes made my frustration melt a little. "I'm sorry, Steve," I whispered, motioning for him to join me on the couch. "I know I've been acting like a beast these past few weeks, but I really am ready to have this baby. I swear; if the baby doesn't come when it's due, I'm going to drive to the hospital myself and order them to induce labor!"

Steve had heard me saying the same thing for weeks, and he knew that I meant it. Some women loved being pregnant; some resigned themselves to it after a while, and some bitched and moaned their way through it, beginning to end. By now, I was agreeing with the third group.

"You aren't due for another few weeks," Steve gently reminded me. He tried to sound understanding, but since he wasn't the one carrying a huge weight in his stomach, I very much doubted that he actually knew how I felt.

"The baby _could_ come early," I insisted, struggling to sit up on the couch and failing. "Remember, the doctors couldn't exactly predict the arrival date. But they said that if the baby _did_ come early, the two of us would still be healthy, so there's nothing to worry about."

My husband, of course, disagreed on that. Before my pregnancy, Steve's greatest worry had been me getting kidnapped by enemies of the Avengers. Now, he was terrified that either I or our baby, or both of us, would die in childbirth.

I'd tried comforting him, saying it was rare for it to happen these days. "Besides, Switzerland has some of the best medical equipment in the world, and I'll have some of the best doctors looking out for me."

But even Steve knew that child birth deaths still happened.

And I knew he had nightmares about losing one or both of us. I would sometimes wake up in the middle of the night to find him sitting up in bed, gasping for air and sweating, his eyes darting towards me and the crib we'd set up in our room. One of his hands would then reach out for mine, while the other reached for my belly, so that he could assure himself that we were alright.

Struggling to sit up on the couch, I once again had the urgent need to use the toilet. Groaning, I managed to get into a sitting position, but not much further.

"Steve, can you help me?" I whined, reaching out with both hands.

' _Thank goodness for his super-soldier strength_!' I thought as he gently hauled me to my feet.

"I'm sending the car to get Bucky and Anna at the airport tonight," Steve said as I waddled towards the nearest bathroom.

"Sounds good," I sighed as the bathroom door closed behind me.

Really, though, I was thrilled that my cousin was arriving, since I desperately needed someone to talk to about my fears and worries. As much as I loved my husband, I didn't want to pile my emotional baggage on top of his!

After using the toilet, I quickly washed my hands with the mint soap I'd put in every restroom in the house. For some reason, it was the only scent that didn't make me cranky or nauseous, and lucky for me, a nearby store constantly kept it in stock.

Rubbing my belly, I sighed again. "Soon," I whispered.

As I reached for the doorknob, I felt something wet trickle down my legs and groaned. "Oh, jeez, I thought I'd cleaned myself up really well this time." Since my reach was off, due to my current condition, I really did try to clean up as well as I could after I went.

But no, this time was different. I knew that some women had 'accidents' while pregnant, and I had been one of them, but it hadn't happened for weeks.

When it finally hit me that wetting myself probably wasn't what I thought it was, I swallowed hard and remembered an old saying. "Be careful what you wish for," I whispered.

Well, I was getting what I wanted. The baby was coming.

* * *

"Steve, stop panicking," Adena ordered him.

"I'm _not_ panicking," Steve insisted, though from the way his stomach was twisting, he really was.

"Well, I'm not having contractions very often, so why don't you make sure one of my bags is in the car while I slowly make my way there?" she calmly told him. "Noah should be out there already, since I had Sunny alert him. Do _not_ tell him to floor it to the hospital; I don't want to cause any traffic accidents."

Not wanting to upset her, Steve rushed to do as his wife asked. ' _Though, to be honest, if I had my way, we'd be speeding down the road by now_.'

That wasn't like him, though. Adena's safety had always been a top priority for him, and racing down the road at break-neck speeds was the complete opposite of that. But he desperately wanted his child safely delivered at a hospital, and for his wife to get the best care while she was in labor. His first-born arriving in the back of a car was _not_ an option.

In no time, he'd made sure Adena's bag was in the trunk of the car, which had been moved to a permanent place out front for just this occasion. Steve had ordered Liam to keep the vehicle parked by the door, so that Adena didn't have to wait for it if she suddenly went into labor –like right now.

He stood there for a good five minutes before Adena came out, taking deep breaths and holding tightly to Mia, who was quietly encouraging the pregnant woman to breathe and stay calm.

"I've had five of my own," the older woman murmured. "Don't be afraid to ask for the pain medication. Some women can tolerate a lot of pain and want to give birth naturally, but some aren't able to. Don't try to prove anything; just make sure the baby is healthy."

Adena nodded and winced. "Oh, that was a sharp one," she gritted between clenched teeth. "Steve, we should get going."

As soon as she said that, Steve really began to panic. "Liam! Noah! Someone get in the car, now! We have to go!"

Both men raced out the front door, looking just as worried as Steve felt. Noah immediately jumped into the driver's seat, while Liam took Adena's free hand and helped Mia seat her in the back. Steve climbed in as well, gently pulling his wife back into the car. It took a good couple minutes, but soon, Adena was leaning back in the seats, clutching the side of the car with one hand and squeezing both of Steve's with the other.

Now, Steve didn't care about the pain shooting through his fingers as his wife struggled through her contractions. He'd gladly take a barrage of bullets for her, and as a soldier, fighting his way through pain was nothing new.

But when Adena cried out in pain, he wished he had the ability to take it away from her. Watching her wince, cry, scream, and gasp for air tore at him. In the back of his head, Steve swore that, if he had his way, he and Adena would not have any more kids –watching her deliver once was enough!

"Steve?" she said, getting his attention. "Are we close yet?"

Steve felt himself go pale. "Drive faster!" he yelled, tightening his grip on his wife's hand.

"Almost there, sir!" Noah called from his seat. "The hospital is just up the next street!"

Steve almost stopped breathing as Adena cried out in pain. "Just a little further," he whispered, half to himself and half to his wife.

* * *

Five minutes later, Steve was helping Adena into a wheelchair that had been brought out by the medical staff. Noah followed close behind with Adena's hospital bag, while Liam agreed to return to the house and make contact all of their friends.

"I'll also pick up Mrs. Rogers' cousin," he promised before driving away.

Steve immediately put all other concerns aside in favor of focusing on Adena. The nurses quickly wheeled her down to the maternity ward, calling out orders to staff members standing nearby. One of the doctors recognized Steve immediately, and ordered that Adena be put into a private room.

"I guess there are perks to being famous," Adena joked as she was helped onto the hospital bed. "I don't relish the idea of giving birth in front of other women!"

One of the nurses gave her a kind smile. "To be honest, it's a wonder Dr. Wilburn gave you this room, and that it was available. Sometimes, we get a flood of women in labor, and have to find space for them!"

Another nurse, a redhead with an easy grin, nodded. "Usually, it's women who are traveling and go into labor earlier than expected. At least we can brag that our jobs are never predictable!"

Two other nurses laughed as they took the wheelchair out of the room, leaving the redhead and the first nurse, a brunette, to tend to Adena.

"I'm Eva," the redhead introduced herself. "That's Tessa. We'll look after you, Mrs. Rogers; don't worry."

Tessa's smile turned into a grin. "Yes, we know who you are. After everything that happened in New York, Washington D.C., and Sokovia, it's impossible _not_ to recognize you!"

Eva looked Adena up and down carefully, brown eyes narrowing slightly. "How much pain are you in, ma'am?" she asked, her voice taking on a professional tone. "And how quickly are your contractions coming?"

Adena told her the count between contractions, and that even though she was in a little bit of pain, she wasn't sure when she should get an epidural. "I don't want to risk the baby's health," she grunted as a contraction hit.

"It's perfectly fine," Tessa assured her. "But I can't give it to you too late in your labor, or else it really will be unsafe for the baby. So if you don't want one right now, it will have to be very soon."

As the pain slowly eased from his wife's face, she glanced over at him. "What do you think, Steve?"

He _really_ wished she hadn't asked him that. The fact that the baby was coming was stressful enough; now Adena wanted him to give permission to have a painkiller, one that might hurt their child if given at the wrong time?

' _On the other hand; Adena is in pain, and I hate seeing her suffer. The right moment might be right now_.'

"If you feel like you need it, go ahead," he said, taking one of her hands in his.

Both nurses hesitated, giving each other a quick look before glancing Steve's direction. "Um, will you be staying for the birth?" Eva asked, as Tessa went to fetch the medication.

That was a long argument that he and Adena had been having for weeks. He wanted to stay, but she didn't want him constantly bothering the hospital staff. "The last thing I want is for you to be trying to give them orders that we both know they won't obey," she constantly told him. "I also think you'll be worrying over me, and getting in their way."

Though he hated to admit it, she was right about that. "As soon as Anna gets here, I'll go wait outside," Steve grudgingly informed them. "But I'll stay until then."

Eva nodded as Tessa returned with a syringe and a vial of pain medication. "Captain, there's a large group out in the waiting area," she said, looking slightly confused.

Adena groaned as another contraction hit. "Probably the press," she grunted. "Make sure they don't get in here, Steve! I don't want our baby spread across the front page of the newspaper or Internet!"

But Tessa shook her head. "It's not the press. It's Mr. Stark and your Avenger friends."

* * *

Steve hated leaving Adena to suffer alone, but she'd firmly ordered him to get out and let the nurses take care of her. So, out into the waiting area he went, where their friends stood waiting.

"Hey, Cap," Rhodes greeted him, striding over to clasp hands. "You look as though you're trapped in a nightmare!"

Steve received hugs and handshakes from everyone, though he was thoroughly confused as to how they'd all known to get here.

"From my experiences with Laura, I knew that the baby was either going to arrive early, or late," Natasha explained with a smile. "I called everyone and told them it was better we get here early, in case the baby decided to make an entrance. We arrived yesterday, and I've never been so glad to be right!"

"It also helps that Sunny knew that Adena was going into labor, and he let me know, so we headed over here," Tony added. "So how are things going with Adena? And how are _you_ holding up?"

Before Steve could answer, Anna rushed in through the doors, full panic on her face. "Oh, my god, Steve!" she gasped, throwing herself across the room in order to give him a hug. "Is she alright? Has the baby come yet?"

"Not yet," Steve announced, looking around the room. "I think the nurses are giving her a pain reliever. It could be a while before the baby comes."

Natasha was at his side in an instant. "Clint tended to pace while he was waiting. You could do that, but I highly suggest you make sure that Adena doesn't want you there for the birth."

He shook his head. "No, I'll wait out here, for now."

Everyone immediately found seats for themselves, and tried to keep busy. Tony pulled out his personal phone/computer, and began texting like mad. Rhodes did the same, while Natasha fished out a magazine or two from the large tote bag she's brought with her. Anna began wringing her hands and paced the room until a stranger entered and came to put his arms around her. Steve felt his fists clench, wondering how to get rid of the intruder, but when Anna kissed the man on the lips, he realized that it had to be Bucky in disguise. There was no way she would betray Bucky, and vice versa, so this had to be his friend wearing the disguise mesh SHIELD had developed.

"How's it going, Steve?" the man asked in Bucky's voice. "You look like hell."

Relaxing a little, Steve shook his friend's hand, and was grateful for the firm, steady grip. "Well, my wife _is_ giving birth," he sarcastically replied.

Bucky grinned. "Stay strong, buddy. The waiting is the hardest part."

Oh, yes; he certainly understood that.

* * *

After what felt like an eternity, Tessa emerged from the delivery wing. When she removed her mask, a smile appeared. "Captain Rogers? Please follow me."

Steve practically ran the poor woman down in his rush to get to Adena. He'd spent hours anticipating an urgent call over the intercom, with a nurse summoning a dozen doctors to the maternity wing to deal with a crisis.

"Try and be calm and quiet," Tessa whispered as she led him down the hall. "She's been through a lot, and she's exhausted."

Steve nodded as they stopped before a door. "Do I need a hospital mask and gown?" he whispered.

"Only if you want one," she said. "But it's not necessary. The baby's been cleaned up and is doing quite well –healthy, with a good set of lungs. A nurse will join you in a few minutes."

A wide grin spread across his face as she opened the door. A healthy baby –it was all he could ask for.

* * *

I had to smile at the dopy grin on my husband's face as he stepped into the room. I was sweaty, tired, and probably looked disgusting, but the way he looked at me made me feel as though I were the most beautiful woman in the world.

"Hey," he whispered, coming over to kiss me. "How are you holding up?"

I shrugged, not wanting to tell him how much I ached. I felt like I wanted to die, after pushing out my precious child, but the drugs were certainly helping. "I'll live. Don't worry about that, though; a nurse will be here soon."

A minute later, Eva walked in, red hair tucked under a tightly secured cap, and looking very professional in her medical scrubs. In front of her was the rolling cart that held my newborn baby, tightly wrapped in a pink-and-blue blanket.

The sight of Steve shifting impatiently from one foot to another had me smiling, but the disappointment on his face as Eva put the precious bundle in my arms instead of his made me laugh.

"Sorry, Captain, but its mama-baby bonding time," Eva apologized. "Just wait a little while."

"But Daddy wants to hold her, too," I said, smiling up at Steve's impatient face.

The negative expression vanished as my words processed in his head. "Her?" he whispered. "It's a girl?"

Smiling, I offered him our newborn baby daughter. "Remember to support her head and neck," I quietly instructed him.

With quiet reverence, Steve reached out and took her. It was beautiful thing, watching him slowly tuck her into the fold of his arms, then gently rock her back and forth. It wasn't long before he began to babble at her, quietly promising that he would love and protect her forever, and that any boys that tried to make a move on her were going to have to deal with him first.

"Steve," I said in a firm tone, "Don't go threatening boyfriends that don't exist yet."

"They don't exist yet, but they will," he said, not looking in my direction. "And when they do, they'll have to get through me, and all of her other superhero aunts and uncles. It'll take a very strong and brave guy to face us all."

Oh, boy; it was starting to look like I would have to be the one standing on my daughter's side when it came time to date. Lucky for me, that wouldn't be for a very long while.

"I was thinking of calling her Ellie," I said, changing the subject and getting Steve's attention all at once. "It could be short for names like Eleanor, or Helen, or even Elizabeth, if we don't want to call her Lizzie or Beth."

"Ellie," Steve whispered, looking at our daughter again, who was quietly sleeping in his arms. "I like it. But which longer name do you want to go with?"

I thought hard about that. "Eleanor and Elizabeth are good ones. Two of my favorite literary characters are named Eleanor and Elizabeth; the characters are strong, kind, sensible women."

"Just like her mother, then," he commented, causing me to blush. After a minute, Steve looked at me, a hesitant look on his face. "Can I pick the middle name?" I thought that was only fair, so I nodded. "I want to name her Sarah, after my mother."

Part of me melted; there was no way I could refuse that. "So should we go with Eleanor Sarah, or Elizabeth Sarah?"

He was quiet so long, I thought he hadn't heard me. Finally, Steve made a decision.

* * *

"Eleanor," Tony muttered as he stared at the baby in Steve's arms. "Not a typical name these days. Are you sure you don't want to go with Elizabeth? It's still a classy name."

"But then people will want to call her Lizzie or Beth," Anna pointed out as she leaned in to better examine his daughter. "Oh, Steve, she's beautiful! Adena's folks are going to go crazy for her."

Steve winced. "We haven't told them the baby arrived yet," he admitted. "They're supposed to arrive next week, since they didn't want to arrive too early and attract the government's attention with a long absence. But I've got Sunny in my pocket, so we'll try and video chat with them as soon as I'm done out here."

The others were all lined up to look at Ellie, though Anna and Natasha were the first in line. Most of the men looked slightly uncomfortable about being near an infant, but that was okay; it would give Steve more time to hold his child.

Eva had come out to the waiting area with him, to give advice and make sure that Ellie was alright. So far, things were going well, but the precious bundle in his arms was starting to fuss, and that was starting to make him panic. A calm baby, he could handle –a crying one was something else!

"It's okay, Captain," Eva assured him. "Just rock her a little. If she doesn't calm down, she might be hungry, and I can take her back to her mother. She hasn't eaten yet, so it could be hunger that's making her cranky."

Better safe than sorry. "I guess you can take her now, then," he said, reluctantly handing Ellie over. "She needs to eat."

Eva accepted the little bundle, and headed back to the maternity ward, leaving Steve to answer everyone's questions. "Adena is fine," he said, answering the most common question first. "Yes, I'm sure, Anna; you don't need to ask again. She'll be released in a day or so, and then we'll take her back to T'Challa's mansion. The nurses say that we ought to have a few days of quiet, to bond with Ellie. So, in three or four days, we'll head over to Tony's house, and you can all get your fill of staring at her."

There were disappointed faces all around, but they all understood.

"But I'm sure Adena would love to see you, Anna," Steve murmured to his cousin-in-law. "You _are_ family, after all, and we do have a guest room set up for you two."

Anna gave him the warm, understanding smile that seemed to run in her family -it was the same one Adena gave him whenever he said something that made her happy. "That's sweet, but you're right. You two need to bond with your baby. We'll stay at Tony's place, if he's got room for us. Wanda, Pietro, Sam and Cyan should be here in a couple days, and with the others here, it should be fun."

Steve wasn't sure about that, but he did appreciate her being so good about it. "We'll see you all in a few days," he whispered, giving her a hug.

With one last call of congratulations from his friends, Steve went to join his wife and daughter.

* * *

AN: So, it's a girl! There will be more chapters to follow over the next few months, with all the usual 'adventures' that new parents experience.

-On another, more serious note: From this point on, I'm not sure how far I intend to take the Steve/Adena storyline. I could go through _Avengers: Infinity War_ , and the film after that, but it's starting to wear down on me, keeping up with the films. I can only imagine how hard it is for the movie writers to keep up and remember details from previous films, to use for their own movies!

I also know that most of the original Avengers (including our beloved Captain America, Chris Evans) have their Marvel movie contracts wrapping up, so I'll probably do the same with this very long story series.

Basically, I'm trying to decide if I want to wrap everything up sooner rather than later, and it looks like it might be sooner. I've got other ideas on my mind, and to be honest, this is starting to feel rather dragged out, so it's possible that by the end of 2017, Steve and Adena's story will be wrapped up. I guess I'll just have to wait and see.

Meanwhile, I'm going to start working on an original story, and will either post it in the "Original" section of this website, or elsewhere. Either way, I'll post that information on my bio page, for those who are interested.

Thanks for reading, and please don't forget to review!


	9. New Parents

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing associated with _**Marvel, Captain America, the Avengers, etc**_. Only original characters and ideas are mine.

AN: I am so sorry for not updating earlier! I went on vacation immediately after posting the previous chapter, and since then, I've been so busy, I haven't been able to find the time (or motivation) to write this one until recently.

As I've said before, I'm not sure how much longer I can keep this storyline going. I guess I could wait and see what _**Infinity Wars**_ looks like, but it's such a long wait, I might just end it my way and call it good. I'm hoping that won't disappoint my readers, but if that's the way it happens, it happens.

Anyway, here is the next chapter. Please be kind and review. Thanks!

 **New Parents :**

"You are _adorable_ ," Anna cooed at my daughter, who was dozing in my arms. "Yes you are! You are _so cute_!"

The men rolled their eyes, but didn't say anything, because most of them had been doing the exact same thing. Even Tony, who had been uncomfortable around her, had started coming around.

At the moment, the entire Avenger group (except for the Bartons, who were on a family vacation) was holed up in Tony's Swiss 'castle,' one of the largest mansions in the area, and everyone was still celebrating Ellie's birth. Considering the number of people who hovered around her, Steve and I considered ourselves lucky that we'd managed to get a few weeks alone with our little girl. The other Avengers had promised to let us have family bonding time, but they were all very excited to admire and coo over their "newest team member."

Ellie fussed a little, stretched out her legs, and yawned. The two women beside me 'awed' over her, and reached out to touch her tiny fingers as Natasha came to join us.

"Can I touch her head?" Wanda whispered, looking at me with eager eyes. I nodded, and smiled as she gently ran her fingers through the baby's soft, dark hair. "I'm surprised she's brunette. I thought she would be blonde, like Steve."

"That sort of thing might change when she gets older," I explained. "Ellie has dark hair and blue eyes right now, but when she's two or three-years-old, her hair and eyes might lighten, darken, or not change at all. We'll just have to wait and see."

"She'll be a heartbreaker," Natasha teased as her finger trailed over Ellie's small toes. "Steve's going to have his hands full when she starts dating."

I groaned. "Please don't mention boys. He's already going into full 'overprotective Daddy' mode."

All three women laughed, which startled Ellie from her nap. As soon as she started crying, I felt her diaper grow heavy, and knew what time it was. "Excuse me," I apologized to my friends. "She needs a little freshening up."

They immediately understood, and let me get up from the couch. Cyan, who had been hovering nearby, followed me to the makeshift nursery that Tony had set up. There, I found the stack of diapers near the changing table, and gently laid Ellie down on the changing mat.

"For such a small person, she certainly creates a great deal of…waste," Cyan commented as I began tugging at my baby's onesie.

I took a deep breath and held it, expecting the worst. Lucky for me, it was only pee this time; two hours ago, it had been a lot messier. "Yes, well, that's the life of a baby: eat, sleep and poop. Oh, and cry; can't forget the crying."

Nope, there was no escaping the crying. Ellie was doing the classic baby 'cat-naps' –she woke up every hour and a half or two hours, wanting to be changed, fed, or both. I was exhausted, and felt like a walking food truck whenever Steve pressed her into my arms for a feeding.

' _Then I feel her in my arms, breathing softly as she sleeps, and I melt_ ,' I admitted with a smile as I changed her diaper.

"You haven't been sleeping well," Cyan said as he eyed me closely. "Do you wish for me to come assist you with the infant?"

I sighed. "I'm doing okay, for now. Steve is a big help with the changing and when she wants to be held; and he lets me take naps whenever I need them. I think the main thing is for us to get her on a schedule, to make things easier. We were going to plan one out before she was born, but we decided to wait and see what would work first."

I had to admit, the idea of Cyan permanently moving in to help with Ellie was a tempting one. Steve was wonderful, but having an android nanny that didn't need sleep or rest was pretty much all a new mother could hope for.

On the other hand, I did very much want to be there for Ellie, in every way possible. Both Steve and I were in a very rare position: neither of us had jobs that would take us away from Ellie for very long, and my boss was the King –I was willing to bet that T'Challa wouldn't mind us bringing her to work occasionally. Knowing how kind the King of Wakanda was, he'd probably set up the royal nursery for Ellie to use, and hire a nanny to take care of her while Steve and I visited with him at the Palace.

Looking down at my drowsy infant, I watched her give the cutest little yawn, and smiled. "You're so precious," I cooed to her, snapping her onesie in place. "How about I put you down for a little nap? I don't think you want to be passed around to your aunties and uncles right now, do you?"

Cyan tilted his head in puzzlement. "I do not believe she understands you, Adena," he commented.

Carefully transferring Ellie to the crib, I made sure she was comfortable before turning on the mobile above her. "It's just something that people do with babies, Cyan," I explained. "She'll understand us eventually, and when she's older, we'll teach her baby sign language, so that we can all communicate with each other."

Actually, Steve was a little unsure about the whole sign language thing, but I assured him that it would be very helpful when it came time for Ellie to try and 'talk' to us. I had no intension of listening to my child cry and scream because she needed something, and couldn't tell us what it was.

"Is she asleep?" whispered a voice from the doorway.

I turned and grinned. "You can come in, Tony. She's not out yet."

The billionaire slowly inched into the room, moving as quietly and cautiously as possible. Of all the Avengers, Tony was the only one clearly terrified of being anywhere near my baby. I guess I should have been insulted, but I actually found it rather funny.

"You can come closer," I whispered. "I was just about to give her a binky, to comfort her, but you can do it, if you want."

He stared at the pacifier as though it were a piranha, or a poisonous snake. "Um, okay," he murmured as he carefully took it from me. I did my best not to grin as he slowly and gently put the binky into Ellie's mouth. In seconds, she was happily sucking away, eyes closing as she fell asleep.

Tony actually seemed to be holding his breath as I led him and Cyan from the room, taking the baby monitor with me. Once the three of us were in the hallway and the door securely closed, I heard Tony heave a sigh of relief.

"For goodness sakes, Tony, she's just a baby," I retorted, rolling my eyes as we headed to rejoin the rest of the group.

"Hey, I've seen and smelled what your precious baby can do," he replied, wincing. "Trust me; I do _not_ want to be anywhere near her again when that happens!"

"It wasn't that bad," I insisted, heading downstairs.

Tony snorted. "Adena, if I could turn that kind of stench against our enemies, we'd win every single fight in minutes."

I couldn't help grinning as he took a sip of his bottled water and winced. I'd forbidden alcohol in any house that my daughter visited; there was too great a risk of my accidently getting served some, and since I was breastfeeding, it could be very bad for Ellie. Tony had looked ready to argue about it, but since all the women were on my side, he knew it was a losing battle.

"How are the Accord negotiations going?" I asked. "Are you making progress?"

The 'official' cover story for my friends' visit was that they were going to try and work out a different set of Accords, one that Steve and I could stand behind. It had been over a year since we had gone into hiding in Wakanda, and I was eager to get back to the States and see my family.

' _And Ellie needs to meet her grandparents and uncle_.'

Unfortunately, my parents and brother were unable to come visit us just now. I had no doubt that someone had found out about my pregnancy and reported it to Secretary Ross, who was now keeping an even closer eye on my family then before. So, any kind of visit from them was impossible. That didn't stop us from a chatting online, but it wasn't the same.

"We've got so many toys and clothes for her!" Mom had chimed over the web camera. "I got her the prettiest little dresses, and _tons_ of accessories for her hair!"

Dad was a bit disappointed at not having a grandson to play ball with, but once he saw Ellie yawn and move her little fingers, I knew he was now wrapped around them. He was probably thinking about putting a little playhouse in the backyard, and a swing set –I'd had one of each when I was little, but they'd long ago been removed.

"We're making some headway," Tony cheerfully informed me. "We've got a number of important nations on our side, including Wakanda, but it's still slow going."

I felt tears start to swell. At this rate, my folks wouldn't be seeing Ellie until her fifth birthday. They were going to miss so much of her life!

"Hey," Tony whispered, reaching out to put an arm around me. "We're doing all that we can, but you know how politics can go. And since it's _world_ politics, it takes a hell of a lot longer. We'll get it done, though. You just keep that beautiful baby girl of yours happy and healthy until she sees her grandparents, okay? We'll take care of the rest."

I smiled a little. "You're such a good uncle," I teased, causing him to blush.

"Well, you and Steve made a cute kid," he muttered. "I hope you realize I already started a college fund for her. By the time she's ready to go, you guys could afford to send her anywhere."

His blush turned into a full-blown grin when I pressed a kiss to his cheek. "You're sweet. Thank you, Tony."

In the living room, everyone had already settled into their chosen spots. Some were nibbling on food, but nearly everyone had a drink cup in their hand as they sat, chatting and catching up with one another. Most eyes turned expectantly in my direction, but that changed to disappointment when they saw that my arms were empty.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Steve slowly creeping towards the stairs. "Oh, no, you don't!" I said pointing right at him. "Not while she's sleeping!"

"I just want to check on her!" Steve insisted, frowning a little as the others chuckled.

I held up the baby monitor. "That's what _this_ is for. Now leave her alone and let her sleep. We're trying to get her on a schedule, remember? It's not quite her nap time, but it's close enough."

Steve immediately began to sulk –he loved holding Ellie, whether she was awake or asleep.

Once I was sure that he wasn't going to slip upstairs to watch her sleep, I took a seat on the couch and let Natasha push a glass of something fruity and sparkling into my hands.

"No alcohol," she promised. "Just fruit juice; I promise."

After taking a healthy sip of the liquid, I sighed. "Thanks, Nat. I'd ask for coffee, but since I'm breastfeeding, caffeine isn't a good idea right now -though I really could use it!"

Anna, seated to my left, patted me on the arm. "It'll get better; you'll see. Besides, you've got people to help you when you need it."

There was a strange pause as she cleared her throat. "Um, when will you and Steve be moving back to Wakanda?" She swallowed hard. " _Will_ you be moving back?"

Ouch. That was a topic we had been lingering over ever since Ellie had been born. Steve wanted to move back there because he felt that T'Challa's security would keep us safe. I wanted to move back because the King had kindly given us everything we could want: jobs, a nice house, and sanctuary for us and our fellow exiled Avengers.

But there was also the climate to consider, and if it was good for Ellie's health or not. Although Wakanda had top-notch technology and medicine, there was still the chance Ellie could catch a deadly disease. She was still far too young to be immunized against the worst illnesses; because of the dangers of side-effects, some of the shots she would need couldn't be given to her until she was at least a year or two old.

We also had no idea if Ellie had inherited any of Steve's Super-Soldier health immunities. Tony had suggested letting the hospitals here in Switzerland test her blood, but there was no way I was going to risk Ellie's blood get out into the world. There would undoubtedly be someone out there who would try and use it in some kind of experiment, and that would only cause problems later.

When it came down to it, the only people I trusted with Ellie's blood were T'Challa's personal medical staff. And since I very much wanted a reliable, honest analysis of her blood, I would let a couple vials of it be taken there by Natasha, who would be leaving in a couple weeks to perform that specific task. Steve and I already written to the Wakandan King, and he agreed that this was the safest and best way to handle this situation, even assuring us that he would personally destroy any information we asked him to.

I felt a hand on mine, and looked up. Anna had her brave face on, which I hated. She was the only family I had right now, and I desperately wanted her to stay close, so that I'd have some support. Would she hate me for not moving back to Wakanda?

"It's okay," she said, though I could see tears forming in her eyes. "You're a mom now; you have to put your baby first."

Seeing his wife's distress, Bucky came and put an arm around Anna's shoulders. "But don't count us out yet," he said, keeping his tone light. "We'll stay with you for a while, until you're sick of us."

"I'm betting that T'Challa is going to organize a way for you all to stay here until the new draft of the Accords is passed," Tony put in. "Heck, I'd help out, if I thought I could get away with interfering, but with the US government breathing down my neck…"

"As rich and brilliant as you are, Tony, you can't do everything," Natasha reminded him. "Let T'Challa worry about helping Steve and Adena. _You_ work on the Accords, and the rest of us will do what we can in the meantime."

I set down my glass so that I could hug her. "Thanks, Nat," I whispered.

She squeezed me tight for a moment. "No worries." As she pulled back, Natasha got a slightly mischievous look in her eye. "But before I go and visit your Royal friend, I'm going to need a few pictures of your precious baby –after she wakes up, of course."

That started a tidal wave of agreement, with everyone pulling out their phones and cameras (even though they'd already taken a million pictures of Ellie).

Oh, well; at least it gave me a reason to put her in some of her fancier, fluffier dresses.

* * *

Three days later, I looked over at Steve and smiled. It was just the three of us, sitting alone in the living room of T'Challa's mansion.

Yesterday, Tony's team of Avengers had headed off to Geneva, where they'd been summoned by the U.N. to discuss a new draft of the Accords. Meanwhile, Anna and Bucky were to remain in Tony's mansion, where they, at least, could get a full night's rest while Steve and I worked struggled to get Ellie onto a sleep and eat schedule.

Surprisingly, Cyan had decided to remain with Anna and Bucky at Tony's. "You require more time to bond with your daughter," he'd explained. "I am not certain how the infant will react to my presence, but I believe it would be best for the three of you to be alone together as much as possible. Perhaps, in a few weeks, I will come and assist with her care and protection."

So here we were, a small family enjoying a quiet day at home.

Siting on the couch with a book in my hands, I tried to relish the peace and quiet, but couldn't. It wasn't that I wasn't able to appreciate it -it's just that I was used to keeping an ear open for Ellie's crying, and right now, she was quiet.

Steve, however, wasn't.

"You are the most beautiful baby girl in the world," I heard him whisper. "And don't you worry; Daddy is going to make sure all the bad boys stay _far_ away from you."

My head snapped up. "Steve!" I quietly hissed, "She's not even a month old! You can't tell her that!"

He looked up, taking his eyes off of our sleeping daughter and her crib to focus on me. "I'm just saying that I'm going to protect her from boys who aren't nice," he softly insisted. "If I don't, her Auntie Nat will."

Then he grinned. "And the minute Bruce finds out about Ellie, you bet he'll promise to do the same."

Oh, no; he was right. If I thought Steve and Bucky were going to be terrifying for Ellie's future boyfriends (or girlfriends, if it came to that), Bruce and his alter ego were going to be ten times worse.

Putting aside my book, I walked over to the crib, and peeked inside. There, I saw that Ellie was partially awake, sucking on her pacifier as she dozed. "Don't worry," I gently assured her, "Mommy won't let Daddy, or any of your aunties or uncles, scare away your dates."

Steve chuckled. "Mommy's right," he agreed, reaching out to stroke one of her tiny feet. "Remember: Mommy's _always_ right."

"Darn straight," I muttered into his ear. "Now let her sleep."

He pouted a little. "But I want to hold her."

Rolling my eyes, I pulled at his arm. "You held her when she got up, after she ate, _and_ you rocked her when she cried. Now let her get some sleep, or else we'll both be miserable when she gets cranky."

He tried, but after Ellie's birth, I'd quickly learned that Steve loved watching her do anything and everything. He hovered when she was asleep; he thought it fascinating when I breastfed her (though I flatter myself by thinking he was watching for other reasons); and whenever Ellie was simply lying on her back, not doing anything, Steve was there, watching as though he expected her to do something amazing any second.

Okay, I admit that I did the same things, but most of the time, I was too exhausted to do it for long. Whenever Ellie slept, I either napped, tried to do a few chores, or read. But I did take a bunch of opportunities to just watch her sleep. Sometimes, I would stand over her crib and marvel at her, not fully believing she was here, and she was mine.

A yawn swelled up from inside me, and I couldn't hold it back. Steve, of course, noticed, and told me to take a nap. "I can watch her for a while. You were up nursing her every couple of hours. You need rest. We'll be fine."

"I swear, I'm going to break out one of those breast pumps as soon as I have time to think straight and do it," I muttered. "That will help with the feedings, at least. Getting bottles prepared will make things easier on me, and give you a chance to feed her, once in a while."

He grinned. "I actually look forward to it. I'll ask Mia or Nina to try and prep one for you."

"Prep one?" I asked, puzzled. "Do I have more than one? I'll bet a couple of the girls gave me one as a baby shower gift -possibly Natasha or Laura. At least we're prepared!"

Heaving myself off the couch, I reached the bottom of the steps before I heard Ellie begin to cry. Out of instinct, I turned back to get her. But when I reached the doorway, I was greeted by my most favorite sight: Steve cradling Ellie in his arms, rocking her back and forth as he slowly walked her around the room. As he moved, he made a gentle ' _shh_ ' sound, which some of the baby books said was comforting to newborns.

But the sweet thing about it was that our tiny daughter fit just perfectly in the crook of Steve's arm, her head resting on the inside of his elbow while his forearm wrapped protectively around her. His other hand was under her body, supporting her and softly patting her back as he tried to lull her back to sleep.

Smiling, I headed upstairs, that sweet, beautiful memory drifting through my mind and forever in my heart.

* * *

AN: Review?


	10. Family Moments

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing associated with _**Marvel, Captain America, the Avengers, etc**_. Only original characters and ideas are mine.

AN: Here's a cute Rogers family chapter. Enjoy, and please don't forget to review. Thanks!

 **Family Moments :**

"She's so beautiful," Steve happily declared as he handed my hungry child to me. "Just like her Mommy."

I rolled my eyes and popped the nipple of the bottle into Ellie's mouth. As she started to greedily suck down her lunch, I leaned back in the cushy recliner and sighed in relief. At three months, my baby's appetite had increased to the point where I was only able to produce enough milk for a couple meals for her a day. The rest of the time, we had to supplement it with formula.

"I wish I knew whether it was because I'm simply unable to make enough milk naturally, or if it's because she inherited a high metabolism from your Soldier Serum," I thought out loud.

"T'Challa's scientists are still running tests on her blood," Steve reminded me. "They said we won't see the effects of it until she's older, remember?"

"Yes, but they also said that she has traces of the Serum in her blood," I said, looking down at Ellie as she went through the bottle at a healthy pace. "That's what worries me."

Steve sighed and reached to put a hand on my shoulder. "That's no guarantee that she'll be anything like me," he whispered, pressing a kiss to my cheek. "Even if she's got a _little_ extra strength, or fast healing and metabolism, it might not be nearly as strong as mine."

Then again, she might. Who knew what might happen when Ellie hit puberty and her body chemistry began to change? Would it kick the production of the Serum into high gear, giving her the same abilities as Steve? Or would she be more 'normal,' like me?

Either way, things could go sideways. If Ellie got even half of Steve's ability to heal, or his strength, it would make her a notch higher than the average human. It might not be too noticeable, but it could be evident enough to make her want to be a superhero, like her dad.

' _Cross that bridge when you come to it_ ,' I reminded myself. ' _She's only a few months old; you have years to go until she shows any kind of those traits_. _Right now, she's a happy, healthy baby_.'

Even though we hadn't been entirely sure whether or not to do it, Steve and I had already gotten Ellie some of the required vaccinations -which, of course, she had hated. There is honestly nothing worse than hearing your child scream while getting a shot from the doctor! Luckily, I'd had a binky and a bottle with me, so after about five minutes, Ellie calmed down enough to take the bottle and drink herself into a doze.

And speaking of bottles: the one I was holding was now empty, and as I pulled it away, Ellie gave me a look that said she either wanted more, or she had gas. Steve handed me a burping rag, and I immediately hoisted her up, positioning her just so on my shoulder. As I began patting her firmly, but gently, I silently prayed that my shirt wouldn't get ruined this time.

I felt Ellie shift a little, and a small, loud, rather bubbly burp sounded, followed by a smaller one. She gave a small cough, and I knew that some milk had to have been spit up.

Slowly, gently, I moved my baby away from my shoulder, and saw a small trickle of milk running out of the corner of her mouth. With a quick movement, I had the rag off my shoulder, running it over her face to catch as much as I could.

A minute later, her face was clean, her stomach was full, and I was on the receiving end of a gaping baby smile that melted my heart. "Who is my precious?" I cooed, giving her face one last wipe. "You are! Yes, you are!"

Ellie's smile widened, and instead of milk, drool began to slip out. Oh, well; she was still adorable to me, and from the way Steve was grinning, he clearly felt the same way.

"Time for a change?" he asked, eying her diaper closely. "It's been a while."

I gently patted her bottom, testing to see if he was right. "I don't know; you can if you want. If she's wet, it's not much, but we can't risk a rash, Super Serum or not."

Quick as a flash, Steve had her, the two of them heading to the changing table while I went to check my clothes. Mercifully, this time I was unscathed.

"Yup, she's wet," Steve softly called back. "I'll take care of it, if you want to head downstairs."

Since I'd changed her diaper earlier (and it had been a nasty one), I decided to make a break for it, in case this one got worse. I got to the bottom of the stairs in time to see Anna and Bucky walk through the front door.

"Oh, am I happy to see you!" I jokingly exclaimed. "Please tell me I don't smell like baby vomit or diaper cream?"

Anna gave a few exaggerated sniffs, then laughed. "You're fine," she said, wrapping me in a hug. "Actually, you smell like baby powder and wipes."

Yup; a true sign of a new mom. "Well, better than the alternative," I muttered, hugging her back before turning to Bucky. "And how are you two doing?"

He shrugged. "Fine. Anna wanted to see how you were, and to coo over Ellie, so here we are."

As if on cue, Steve called from upstairs. "Adena? I need to give her a bath."

I winced. That meant that the diaper changing had gone badly. "Um, you two sit tight, maybe have some coffee. I'll be back."

Not waiting for them to answer, I rushed upstairs to help Steve.

* * *

Most men would cringe at having to give a poopy baby a bath, but Steve didn't mind –much. The smell was terrible, of course, but after he gave Ellie a quick pre-bath rinse in the tub, it wasn't too bad.

Smiling, Steve watched Adena pick up the damp washcloth and dribble a bit of soap onto it. "Here you go," she said, wrinkling her nose a little. "I hate it when she just messes everywhere. I know she can't control it, but it's one of the grosser parts of being a parent."

He chuckled and began to gently rub the cloth over Ellie's bottom, trying to get her as clean as possible. "I'm waiting for the day when we start feeding her mushy foods. That'll be fun, won't it?"

His wife crinkled her nose again. "Oh, yes; that'll be when she starts spitting or throwing it all over the place. Maybe we should have Cyan be a maid, instead of a caregiver or bodyguard? I don't think that sort of thing bothers him."

"That might help," Steve admitted as he inspected his daughter. "I think I got the worst of it rinsed off, but the washcloths will have to be thoroughly washed, or just tossed in the trash."

"Trash," Adena immediately said. "We've got so many washcloths; I think we're set for life. Tossing out ones we can't save shouldn't be an issue."

He agreed, and dropped the filthy ones into the trash can by the tub. "Time to get a full bath, sweetheart," he cheerfully told his daughter.

Adena smiled and kissed them both. "Bring her downstairs when you're done. We've got company," she excitedly informed them, before slipping out of the room.

As he headed towards the tub, Ellie looked up at him with wide blue eyes and drooled as she partially stuck out her tongue. Steve laughed and kissed her on the cheek as he tested the water in the tub. It was a bit cooler than when he'd poured it, but still pleasantly warm.

"In you go," he whispered, setting her down on the bath cushion. "There; isn't that nice?"

As usual, Ellie gave him the same frustrated look she always did whenever he bathed her. She didn't like baths, but at least she didn't scream and cry, like he expected her to. For the most part, she put up with it, and as a reward, she got wrapped up in a cozy onesie with her favorite binky.

After he finished washing her up, Steve gently lifted his little girl and carried her over to the two-person sink, where her towels sat, perfectly warmed by the one of Adena's many baby shower gifts.

"I love this towel warmer," Steve whispered as he dried her off. "It keeps you nice and toasty, doesn't it, princess?"

Adena hated it when he called Ellie that. She didn't want Ellie being spoiled, and from her point of view, that particular nickname seemed to indicate where things were headed.

"There's nothing wrong with a dad wanting to spoil his little girl," Steve whispered as he put her into a new, cozy yellow onesie. "But Mommy is right –I should try and be a bit firmer with you."

Smiling, he popped a binky into her mouth and watched her eyes grow drowsy. He wanted to let her drift off to sleep, but it was the time of day where he would have to put her through the exercise routine that she hated most.

"Tummy Time," he crooned, lifting her into his arms. "I know you hate it, but it's doctor's orders. You're going to work out, just like your Dad."

* * *

Headed for the living room, Steve heard the sound of female laughter and a familiar heavy male sigh. Poor Bucky; like most men, he didn't know how to handle giggling women.

The minute he stepped through the doorway, Anna was up like a shot. "There she is! Come here, little one!"

"Anna, it's Ellie's Tummy Time," Steve said, trying to fend off her reaching hands. "You can have her in fifteen minutes."

Puzzled, Anna pulled back. "Tummy Time? What's that?" Since Anna never visited during the afternoon, for fear of waking Ellie during a nap, she didn't know about their little 'training sessions.'

Adena sighed and went to spread a blanked on the thick carpet. "Babies need to build up their neck muscles, so that they can hold their heads up on their own. Fifteen minutes a day makes all the difference in the future."

Wincing, Steve gently put Ellie on the blanket, and slowly rolled her onto her stomach. "Okay; start the countdown," he muttered to his wife, as he waited for the inevitable.

Both he and Adena took places close to their daughter, sitting quietly as Ellie began shifting around on her blanket. First, it was arms and legs moving back and forth, followed by little whimpers and whines. Finally, Ellie lifted her head and looked around, her pacifier dropping from her mouth. Since the first person she spotted was her mother, she began whining a bit harder, hoping to be picked up.

"It's okay, precious," Adena crooned, quickly placing a toy within their baby's reach. "Here's the duckie Aunt Anna bought you!"

Luckily, it happened to be Ellie's current favorite toy, so as soon as she saw it, her distressed cries turned to happy gurgles as her tiny fingers grasped the soft, fuzzy duck by the leg. Two seconds later, the stuffed animal's foot was in Ellie's mouth, and magically, all things were right in the world.

Bucky heaved a heavy sigh. "Whew; that was a close one! I don't think I could stand a meltdown."

Steve nodded his agreement, earning a stuffed bear tossed at his head by his wife. "Hardly a meltdown!" Adena retorted as he caught the toy. "Things have been a lot quieter since we started keeping toys nearby to distract her. The only time she really fusses is right after we put her down -after that, it's not so bad."

Grinning, Steve set down the bear next to Ellie, and watched as her attention shifted. "There you go, sweetness," he softly encouraged her.

His heart lifted as Ellie gave him a gummy smile, a small hand reaching for the bear. With both fists full, and her attention focused on something other than her exercise session, it was easy to get Ellie to hold her head up and play with her toys.

"I'm thinking she's going to be a soccer player," Anna commented, kneeling on the floor with her cousin. "Look at how she kicks those legs!"

Bucky laughed, drawing Ellie's attention away from her toys. "She's got strong arms _and_ legs. I think she's going to be a gymnast. Aren't you?" he said, giving his godchild an indulging look, and earning a gaping, drooling smile in return.

For fifteen minutes, the four adults hovered over the active baby. Steve couldn't help but be jealous that Bucky managed to snag most of Ellie's attention, though he couldn't understand why. Bucky and Anna had been over many times, and he couldn't figure out why this time was different.

Seeing his friend's discomfort, Bucky grinned. "It's the shiny arm," he said, flexing the metal skin a little. Some sunlight caught on it, attracting Ellie's attention and making her reach for it. Bucky chuckled. "See? Babies and cats love shiny things."

What Bucky said was true. Plus, he usually avoided wearing short sleeves, so as not to attract attention. Today, though, Bucky had worn a short-sleeve shirt under a thin jacket, which he had taken off.

"Gah!" Ellie cried, reaching for Bucky's arm while kicking her feet. "Gah!"

The alarm on Adena's phone beeped, signaling the end of Tummy Time. In the blink of an eye, Steve had his daughter in his arms, pressing kisses to her cheek while whispering praises into her ear.

"Steve, don't spoil her," Adena sighed. "It was fifteen minutes of baby exercise; she didn't climb to the top of the Eiffel Tower!"

Before a parental argument could break out, Bucky cleared his throat. "Can I hold her?" he timidly asked, holding out his arms.

Steve was surprised. It was the first time since Ellie had been born that he'd made that request. "Sure, Buck. Here, let me help you."

It took a few awkward moments to get Ellie comfortably settled in her godfather's arms, but when Steve stepped back, all he could feel was happiness and relief. It was cute, seeing his daughter gazing up at Bucky with wide, curious eyes as she reached out to grab his stubble. Steve was always clean-shaven, so facial hair was a rare sight for her.

"Ouch," Bucky grunted as Ellie's tiny fingers found a grip. "Jeez, Steve, I think she's got some of your strength. You won't have to fight off potential boyfriends –I think she can handle them on her own!"

"Not funny," Steve muttered as he went to retrieve his daughter. "No, sweetie; leave Uncle Bucky's face alone."

Once again in her daddy's arms, Ellie unleashed the full effect of her superpower: a sad face.

Steve immediately felt the full effect of it as her eyes began to fill with tears and her face crumpled. Any hope he had of being a stern disciplinarian vanished instantaneously.

"It's okay, Steve," Bucky insisted, holding out his metal hand to Ellie. "See? Shiny!"

Watching his fingers, Ellie's tears vanished, her expression changing to one that was fascinated and curious. Her little hands reached out to grab his fingers, eyes closely studying them. When she had hold of them, Bucky flexed them a little, causing her to jump.

Then, without warning, Ellie stuck one of Bucky's fingers in her mouth, her mouth working steadily as she gnawed on it with her gums.

"Ellie, no!" Steve cried, trying to pry his daughter off of his best friend. "I'm _so_ sorry, Buck!"

The women, meanwhile, were laughing their heads off. After a minute, Adena stepped up and managed to get Ellie to let go of Bucky's forefinger. "I'm sorry; it was just too cute and too funny. Are you hurt?"

Bucky, who had handled all of this with a grin, shook his head as Anna grabbed some tissues from the coffee table. "Nah, it's tough stuff. I'll have to remember to be more careful with her, though, especially when she starts teething."

Adena managed to head off any possible crying fits by slipping a binky into Ellie's mouth, and rushing her upstairs for a nap. "No more chewing on family members," they heard her lecture. "That's a big no-no."

Turning back to his friends, Steve watched Anna try to wipe baby drool from Bucky's hand. "Just a taste of family life," she teased her husband, who gave her a quick kiss on the nose.

"Coffee?" Steve offered. "Or iced tea? We've got plenty of both."

The three were comfortably seated when Adena returned ten minutes later, a baby monitor in hand. Seeing the tall glass of iced tea waiting for her, she dropped into a chair and took a deep drink. "Well, she's asleep. I think Tummy Time finally wore her out."

For the rest of the afternoon, as Ellie slept, the adults sat and chatted quietly, exchanging news and relaxing.

Then, Anna decided to change that.

* * *

"You know, I heard that Tony managed to wrangle a pardon for you, from the new president," Anna casually commented. "Apparently all you have to do is perform a lot of hours of community service, and you'll be free to go back home."

I practically dropped my glass. "What?" I gasped, setting the cup down with a heavy _thud_. "Are you sure? Where and when did you hear that?"

My cousin grinned. "Pepper called. Apparently the new administration has a lot of patriotic folks who want their local-grown hero back, fighting to protect the U.S.A. Plus, they know how important you are to the Avengers, and that you're one of the few who isn't afraid to put Tony Stark in his place."

She paused. "Not that Tony actually _listens_ when you try to put him in his place, but at least he respects Steve's authority in most things. So, they're willing to take you both back, with a few conditions. I think they'll send the paperwork over to you in the next few months, after the lawyers get through with it."

Stunned, I looked over at Steve, who seemed just as shocked. "It's too good to be true," I said out loud. "I don't trust this as far as Ellie could throw it. There's got to be some kind of weird catch."

Bucky shrugged. "We know that, and agree with you. But if there's a chance for you to go home, would you take it?"

"Not if it endangers my family," Steve firmly declared, reaching to take my hand. "I do _not_ want them locked up or hidden away like hostages, just to make sure I do whatever the government wants."

Squeezing Steve's hand, I calmly replied, "We'll think about it. Tony's lawyers are some of the best in the world. If they say that it's okay, I'll believe them, but only if there aren't any obligations that are unreasonable."

Steve looked over in Bucky's direction. "What about you? Did they include you in the paperwork?"

Bucky shook his head. "I'm still considered a dangerous terrorist and assassin. Don't worry; patience is something I've got, as long as I've got Anna with me."

Even though the two Barnes' looked content, Steve seemed particularly upset by the conversation.

* * *

After Anna and Bucky left, Steve followed me upstairs to check on Ellie. She was awake, but quiet, sucking happily on her binky as she watched the mobile above her crib slowly spin.

"What do you think, about what they said?" he quietly asked me. "Should we risk going home?"

I sighed and leaned over the crib to gently stroke Ellie's head of dark hair. The softness of her wispy locks made me smile. She was so small, so fragile and precious. Her eyes, blue like her father's, were sleepy, and full of blissful innocence.

"I want to take her home," I whispered, drawing both Steve's and Ellie's attention. "I want my parents to hold her, and the family to spoil her rotten with love and attention. But I don't know if I want to risk that just yet."

A strong, loving arm wrapped around my waist, holding me close. Together, we watched Ellie stare at the mobile, the glowing planets a rainbow of colors that created a beautiful, calming distraction. When it stopped moving, she began to fuss, a sure sign she was hungry.

"I'll take her," Steve offered, leaning down to scoop her up. "Dinner time, huh, sweetie?"

I put a hand on his arm. "We'll both feed her. I'd like to have some time together."

Minutes later, Ellie was snug in my arms as Steve held the bottle with one hand, and the other draped behind me, resting on the back of the couch. It was one of the most perfect moments of my life.

* * *

AN: A bit of a jump forward in time in the next chapter. The one after that will wrap up my Avengers series, so that I can start on something new.

If I decide to write up an **_Infinity War_** story, I'll let everyone know.

Thanks, and please don't forget to review.


	11. A Super Childhood

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing associated with **_Marvel, Captain America, the Avengers, etc_**. Only original characters and ideas are mine.

AN: I'm so sorry for taking forever to post this! The holidays ran away from me, and the next thing I knew, its 2018 (Happy New Year, everyone!)!

Anyway, please enjoy this chapter, and don't forget to review.

 **A Super Childhood:**

She wasn't supposed to be watching the fighting, but she couldn't help it. It was so exciting!

The air echoed with a dull metallic _ping_ as the silver shield flew through the air and hit a wall, causing it to fly towards the robotic head.

A blue hand reached up and caught the discus before it could strike. "An excellent throw, Captain," Cyan complimented him. "Had I been an enemy, it would have proven most effective."

Biting her lower lip, she barely kept herself from clapping. Fighting practice was the _best_ time of day!

A side door burst open, and in stomped War Machine and Iron Man, ready to fight. Flying in through the open domed ceiling came Falcon, wings out and guns ready. Even though all the weaponry was set for 'stun,' people were going to have some bad bruises later.

A blast came from Iron Man's hand, straight at Cyan, who dodged while throwing the shield back to its proper owner. She let out a small squeak as a blue-gloved hand caught it and positioned it for defense.

"Eleanor Sarah Rogers!" a voice suddenly yelled over the intercom. "I know you're in there, young lady!"

All movement in the room stopped, heads turning to listen to the speaker. Ellie, meanwhile, tried not to cry. Mommy sounded _really_ mad.

"Ellie? Where are you?" Uncle Tony called, his helmet sliding open, eyes searching the training room. "Princess, you'd better come out _right now_ , before you make your mom even madder!"

She didn't want to, but he was right -if she stayed hidden behind the big cement walls, Mommy was going to be really, really mad. She hated making Mommy mad; not only because she loved her so much, but because Mommy got really scary when she was angry. Only The Hulk was scarier, though he was always nice to Ellie, and sometimes played with her.

Slowly, she stepped out, so that they could see her. Rhodey looked annoyed, but Uncle Tony and Uncle Sam were smiling, at least a little. Cyan, her favorite teacher, looked confused as he came to pick her up.

"How did you get in here?" he asked as he carried her over to the others.

"I asked Sunny to help," she said, holding up her wrist, to show him her special bracelet. "I wanted to see, and he let me inside."

Uncle Tony had given it to her when she turned five. It had Sunny, Mommy's computer-phone voice, in it, and he did almost everything she asked it to.

When she saw her Daddy's face, Ellie felt like crying. Daddy looked very unhappy as he took her from Cyan, holding her tight.

"Ellie, you know you're not supposed to be in here," Daddy said, a big frown on his face. "It's very dangerous. You could have been hurt, or killed!"

"But Auntie Nat said all the weapons weren't real," she softly told him. "Mommy and all the Aunts were busy, and I was bored. Aunt Anna said you were a good fighter, and I wanted to see."

Daddy frowned even more. "Ellie, how could Sunny even get you in here? The doors are always locked, so that people can't get in when training is going on."

She didn't look at him, just at the smooth metal of the floor. "I told him I had to talk to you, and he opened the door. It was before you started fighting."

Ellie felt bad about lying to Sunny. Mommy always said Daddy _never_ lied, and both of them didn't like anyone who lied to them. She hadn't wanted to lie, but Mommy never let her watch Daddy fight. When everyone was busy, she decided to go and see him.

A large hand gently gripped her chin. "Ellie, look at me."

Looking up only a tiny bit, she saw how angry Daddy was. "You, Mommy and I are going to have a long talk."

Uh, oh.

"And you do know you're going to be punished, right?"

Double uh, oh.

* * *

As Daddy carried her out into the hallway, she looked over his shoulder and gave her uncles a small wave. Rhodey shook his head as Uncle Sam whispered in his ear, but Uncle Tony gave her a smile and a wink.

That was good; when Uncle Tony winked at her, it meant a present later. Mommy didn't like it when Uncle Tony bought her presents, but Ellie loved it, and she loved him. Okay, she loved all her aunts and uncles, but Uncle Tony was the best gift giver ever!

Too bad Daddy wouldn't let her keep that pony she'd gotten last year…

"Steve!" cried a familiar voice, and Ellie shrank a little. Aunt Anna sounded upset; Uncle Bucky had said not to upset her, because of the baby.

Sighing, Aunt Anna was puffing and red-faced from walking so fast. Her belly was huge, because of the baby inside her. "Thank goodness! I swear, we only looked away for a second, and she was gone! Adena's been frantic."

Daddy smiled. "You shouldn't be running around, Anna. The doctor said you needed to rest."

Aunt Anna rolled her eyes before looking over at her. "Eleanor, you come with me right now, young lady, do you understand? Aunt Natasha and Aunt Wanda are going to be keeping a _very_ close eye on you, while I take a nap!"

Ellie swallowed hard as she was set down, and took Aunt Anna's hand. They hadn't gone far before a group of familiar faces found them.

* * *

I let Natasha take Ellie back to her room, where she and Wanda would keep a _very_ close watch on my mischievous daughter, while I talked with Steve and the rest of our concerned friends (minus Anna, who went for a well-earned nap).

"I swear, I thought she was playing with her toys and the Barton kids during the baby shower," I huffed, crossing my arms. "I guess she got bored and decided that watching you guys fight each other was more entertaining."

I turned a suspicious gaze towards Tony, who tried to look innocent. "How did her little computer friend get her into the Training Arena?" I drawled, glaring at him. "Her version of Sunny is only supposed to be a tracking device, in case she gets lost somewhere, and answer her questions. An 'educational tool,' you said, wasn't it?"

"I _may_ have said that," he lightly replied. "I also _may_ have included a _few_ extras in her little gift."

"Like unlocking doors to places she shouldn't have access to?" I growled, somehow managing not to yell. "Or just plain unlocking doors in general? Bruce found her outside the chemistry labs once, and had to bring her back. What if she found the _weapons areas_?"

"Sunny won't get her into those rooms," Tony protested. "I made sure of that! He's only going to get her access to safe places, or areas where people she knows already are, so they can protect her. Sunny can use the base's cameras and sensors to detect if one of us is in a room, so that Ellie is never alone and never in danger. As long as one of the Avengers or her family members is there, Sunny will open the door for her."

"Excluding weapons storage, the garages, and other dangerous places, I hope," Rhodey sarcastically remarked. "Come on, Tony. Just admit you botched this, and Adena _might_ forgive you sometime this century." He paused. "And Steve might only _lightly_ crush your face."

"It's a protective measure!" Tony insisted, looking slightly alarmed as Steve clenched a fist. "What if someone broke into the base, and she had to avoid bad guys? Sunny would make sure she got somewhere safe and secure, locking her inside a room, or locking bad guys out."

Steve and I exchanged a look. I knew that his strategic mind was weighing the pros and cons of Tony's tech gift, just as mine was, but he was probably coming up with a few extras that I hadn't thought of yet.

After several tense minutes, Steve relaxed -which meant I could, too. He'd probably thought of every scenario and outcome, and he knew that we were both on the same page when it came to Ellie's safety. Well, usually; Ellie was definitely a 'Daddy's Girl," and Steve occasionally gave in when she asked him for something. But in serious matters, we were one.

"It probably is a good idea," Steve admitted. "In a worst-case-situation, Sunny can keep Ellie safe, at least for a while. But as her parents, we need to have a serious chat with her about abusing his capabilities."

I nodded my agreement. It was time for major 'sit-down' with our child.

* * *

"So, how did it go?" Bucky asked as he handed me a glass of lemonade. "Ellie didn't _look_ like she was going to cry, but she seemed pretty serious."

Steve sighed and leaned back in his seat beside me. "It was a pretty serious discussion. Ellie's rarely visited the base, and it was time to set some ground rules."

It was something we'd firmly agreed on. After the New Accords had been agreed upon by us and the United Nations, it had been quickly signed and finalized. That had occurred right before Ellie's first birthday, which meant, once we arrived back in the States, she got several big birthday parties (thanks to her adopted aunts and uncles, and her numerous blood relatives).

It hadn't really sunk in, though, until Steve and I were in the Avengers' Base, in our old rooms, watching Ellie play with blocks on the floor. Then it hit us, how much things had changed for us. The last time we were at the base, saving the world had been the priority; now, however, we were parents, and our child's safety had to come first.

"A superhero base is no place for an infant," we told our friends. So, it was decided that I would be a stay-at-home mom, while Steve went around the globe, saving the world. Our new house was courtesy of Stark Industries, under a ton of false names, so that reporters and bad guys couldn't hunt us down. Since Ellie was too young for school, it was easy to lie low. If I wanted to take her to see the others, I went to Stark Tower, where Tony turned the whole thing into an Avenger Team Party.

But now that she was five-years-old, Ellie would be starting school soon. She already knew that all of adoptive aunts and uncles were superheroes, and in her innocent, childlike way, she understood what it was they did (beat up bad guys and save the world).

I had sometimes brought her here on short visits to see Steve and our friends, but this time, we were staying much longer than the usual day-trip.

Bucky and Anna, who had been included in the New Accords, had set up in a nice house close to ours (also courtesy of Stark Industries), and finally decided to start a family of their own. I, of course, had taken it upon myself to throw her a baby shower, but until recently, it had been impossible to gather everyone together for it. It was only this week that the stars had aligned and all the female Avengers, as well as some of our female friends, had gathered together for it.

That particular event had, of course, led to Ellie becoming bored and wandering off. For the most part, she was a good girl who did what Steve and I ordered her to, but her own sense of independence was starting to develop, and so we had to set some serious rules for her to follow, as well as punishments.

"No playing with any of the new toys Tony gave her for a month," I said, ticking off on my fingers. "She's not allowed to go beyond certain hallways that we showed her. Sunny is going to be programmed to give an alert whenever she goes places she shouldn't, though he'll warn her first whenever she's heading where she shouldn't."

"And if she genuinely wants to talk to me or Adena, or anyone on the team, Sunny will send us a text or voice message," Steve added. "We'll come up with more rules later, no doubt."

Bucky gave Anna an affectionate look. "Just something we have to look forward to," he teased, reaching to pat my cousin's huge belly.

"Yup, exactly what I'm looking forward to," she sarcastically replied, playfully smacking his hand aside.

Anna had my full sympathies. I knew that, like me, she hoping that her little one was spared from having too much of the Serum our husbands had. Granted, Bucky had a Soviet knock-off version, but there was still the risk that their baby would be born with it in his or her blood. And speaking of which…

"You never said if it was a boy or girl," I not-so-subtly reminded them.

They both grinned as they said, "Not telling!"

And of course, that was when their baby decided to make its appearance.

* * *

Ten hours later, after listening to Anna scream that I needed to tell Bucky how much she hated him for "doing this to her," it was over. My cousin was exhausted and rather buzzed from the pain-killers given to her, but she was collected enough to tell me to go get her husband, and mine.

When I went out to get him, Bucky, who had nearly worn a hole in the waiting room with his pacing, practically ran me over as he raced to get to Anna's side. Steve, meanwhile, met me with a grin and a kiss before escorting me back to the hospital room.

"Time for me to see our godchild," he softly teased.

Inside, Anna rested comfortably on her bed while Bucky held his son, cooing softly as he gently rocked the tiny bundle in his arms. It took a few minutes for both of them to realize we were there, and when she did, Anna forced herself to sit up, a tired smile on her face.

"There they are! Come meet our son, James Roger Barnes."

I watched one of Steve's eyebrows quirk in confusion. "James Roger? Where'd you get that name?"

Bucky completely ignored us as Anna answered Steve's question. "I couldn't name him James Buchanan Barnes Jr. Even if I wanted to, Bucky won't allow it. But I wanted Bucky's real first name, and one of yours, Steve, so I used your last name as my son's middle one. We can use Jimmy or Jamie as a nickname."

Bucky finally decided to acknowledge our presence, and let me hold his newborn boy. "He's on the smaller side," Bucky said, looking worried, "But Doctor Banner said that he's healthy, which is all that matters."

Since Bruce was also _Ellie's_ doctor, I had complete faith in him when it came to his information about baby James.

And speaking of Ellie…

* * *

"So he's my cousin?" my daughter whispered as she held her new relative in her arms.

Jamie, as he was now to be officially called, slept peacefully on while his anxious parents hovered nearby. They were clearly worried about Ellie dropping him, but I knew she'd never do such a thing -not on purpose, anyway.

"He's _so cute_!" Ellie softly squealed, wrapping her arms around the baby a little tighter. "His hair is like Uncle Bucky's, and his face is so _squishy_!"

Bucky clearly didn't know how to react to his son being called 'squishy,' but Anna seemed to think it adorable. "You have to be very careful with him, Ellie," Anna calmly told her. "Remember, be gentle until he's older; he can get hurt easily."

Ellie clutched Jamie to her a little tighter. "I won't hurt him!" she proudly declared. "He's family! I'll keep him safe!"

That comment immediately wrapped Steve around her little finger; I could see him swell with fatherly pride and love for our daughter as he leaned into to whisper, "She'll make a good Avenger someday."

I swiftly elbowed him in the side. "We're not talking about this yet," I hissed. "She's only five!"

We were interrupted at that moment by the arrival of the others. Nathaniel, who was a year older than Ellie, scrambled to take a seat beside her on the couch. The two youngsters had met only a handful of times, but Nate (as Ellie called him) had become one of Ellie's close friends. Some boys at that age thought girls were 'gross' or had 'cooties,' but Nate could see how strong and smart his Avenger 'Aunts' were, so he was a bit more understanding when it came to girls.

"He smells funny," Nate chirped, holding his nose.

When Ellie did the same, Anna rushed in and scooped up her son, an embarrassed look on her face. "Looks like a diaper change," she said, apologetically. Thanks to the time she spent with Ellie, my cousin was an old pro at diaper changing.

The others spread out across the large gathering area, which overlooked the green lawns and patches of trees that lined the property. Nate and Ellie leaped down from the couch and ran to the windows, looking at the bugs resting there, and squealing when Nate pointed out a tiny frog on the balcony.

"We should put in a playground for the little tykes," Sam suggested, watching the two run along the floor-to-ceiling windows, trying to find more frogs. "I mean, they're big enough for one, and they need a place to burn up some energy. You can't keep them cooped up."

Tony raised his hand high in the air. "I second the notion! What do you think Barton?"

Clint shrugged. "I've had one at the farm for ages, since Cooper was small, so I'm for it. Just, don't put it outside, okay? We don't need to advertise that the Avengers have kids on the property. That wouldn't go over well in the press."

Natasha laughed. " _Superheroes turned babysitters_ ," she said, moving her hands as though spreading out the headline for us. "I like it."

Wanda laughed. "Only because it's true," she reminded her. "Remember the makeover Ellie gave you last week, when you were watching her so Adena and Steve could go on a date?"

I tried not to laugh as Nat tossed her red hair over her shoulder and smiled. "I know, right? I looked _fantastic_!"

She had, actually. Ellie had a way with hair and eye shadow. "Next time, it's Uncle Tony's turn for a makeover," I announced, grinning as the billionaire choked on his scotch.

"No, no it's not!" he loudly protested as the girls giggled and the guys started making bets on how it might turn out.

Ellie had heard that last part and came running. "But you _promised_!" she cried, rushing to wrap her arms around his legs. "You _promised_ , Uncle Tony! Aunt Pepper said I could even use her makeup to make you look pretty."

Considering the high-class brands I knew Pepper used, it was very generous of her to let Ellie borrow them. ' _Then again, I think half of those companies give her stuff for free, considering her relationship to Iron Man_.'

Now, everyone knew that Tony had a soft spot for women, but was uncomfortable around little kids. The only ones he was fine with were the offspring of his fellow Avengers. In a way that Clint's kids never did, Ellie in particular had Tony wrapped around her little finger –the man just couldn't say 'no' to her, and always spoiled her.

I bit back a sigh. I still hadn't forgiven him for that darned pony he gave Ellie last Christmas. She'd been so upset when I told her we couldn't keep it, but Steve had put his foot down. Tony eventually agreed to keep it at a country house he had, and said Ellie could ride the animal the next time we visited.

"Can we do makeovers tomorrow?" Ellie asked, a bright smile on her face as she looked up at Tony. "Please?"

Lucky for him, Anna returned with Jamie, providing the perfect distraction for my daughter. As she settled on the couch to hold the baby again, the others crowding around to 'aw' and coo over the newborn, I reached for my stomach -currently flat, but soon would begin to swell with the child growing inside me.

Steve was going to be so thrilled!

* * *

AN: (blinks innocently) Review?


	12. Future Heroes

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing associated with _**Marvel, Captain America, the Avengers, etc**_. Only original characters and ideas are mine.

AN: This is it: the last chapter of my Steve and Adena series. It's been a good, long run, and I'm sad that it's over, but all good things must come to an end. Maybe, some day, I'll post more Avengers fanfiction, but I can't say for sure.

I'm hoping to start an original story on the other website run by FanFiction. I'll post a link as soon as I get the first one or two chapters up, but it won't be for a while.

Thanks to everyone who stuck with me. I hope to see you on the other site.

 **Future Heroes :**

"I hate this," Steve muttered, eyes focused intensely on the figures below.

Hoping to lighten his mood, I snuggled against his shoulder. "They'll be fine. It's a good group down there, and they've had the best teachers in the world."

I knew that no matter what I said, it wouldn't make him feel better. If there was one job in the world that my husband took seriously, it was being a protective father.

And I had to admit, I was more than a bit anxious, too. Steve was used to sparing and watching other people get hurt, both in the training courts and in the outside world. I, on the other hand, avoided it at all costs. But today's session was an extremely important one, and I didn't want to miss it.

A figure of blue and silver darted through the laser fire, running, jumping, flipping and skidding around, destroying attacking robots and making it through to the far side of the room. Around it, a group of fellow training fighters flew, ran and leaped to join it. Finally, all the attackers were down, and the session was over.

"Nice job," announced a female voice through the speakers. "Head out. You're done for today."

Steve was already heading down the hallway, straight for the doors that led into the training arena. I followed him there, arriving as the dirty, smelly, exhausted team members trailed out, rubbing sore spots or rotating their shoulders to ease the aches and pains.

The last one out sent a wave of relief through my very soul. "Sweetheart!" I cried, opening my arms for a hug. "I'm so proud of you!

Off came the blue cowl, revealing sparkling dark blue eyes and hair the color of burnt honey. "Thanks, Mom."

As soon as those words came out, Steve enveloped our daughter in a tight hug. "I'm proud of you, too, sweetie."

Ellie grinned as she pulled back, eyes gleaming with joy. "Thanks, Daddy. I thought I could have been a bit quicker on that last part, but I still beat my old record."

"She's a natural," commented a male voice behind me. "Takes after our old man."

"Jacob!" Ellie cried, rushing to embrace her younger brother. "I thought you were still in Hong Kong?"

He smiled and hugged her back. "I got some time off to come see how your training was going. Word is that Dad and Uncle Bucky are thinking about retirement, to let the new generation take over. I was curious about who the lucky ones were."

Actually, over the years, some of the 'new generation' of superheroes were already on the Avengers team. I had a feeling that, as the two youngest, original human members, Wanda and Pietro were going to be the last to remain, along with Vision and Cyan, who of course never aged.

Ellie draped an arm around Jake's shoulders; a feat easily done, since they were nearly the same height. "I'm going to clean up, and then we can have something to eat. The cafeteria's got a _great_ pasta bar this week."

Jake smiled broadly. "Thank goodness! China's got great food, but I really miss pasta. Well, pasta and Mexican food."

I rolled my eyes. They were definitely Steve's kids: his Super Soldier Serum ran strong in both, and a ravenous appetite for food was one of their shared traits.

Watching both my children, I couldn't help but smile with pride. Ellie was going to be a soldier, while Jacob was studying to be a sorcerer, training under our friend, Dr. Stephen Strange. Where my son's magical gift had come from, I had no idea, but ever since Jacob had first met the good Doctor, it was clear where his talents lie.

"The boy has promise," Strange had said to us, during Jake's eleventh birthday party. The Sorcerer had performed a few tricks, and noticed how closely Jake had watched every move. "I can sense it in him. Stark might have the tech side of the Avengers covered, but you should have someone with magic on your team as well. You never know who or what you might encounter in the future."

Most people would be skeptical at the existence of magic. But after everything we'd seen and experienced in our lives, it wasn't that hard to wrap our minds around the idea. Steve and I agreed to send Jake to study with Strange, but only if they stayed based in New York, and Strange made sure Jake studied normal things, too. He agreed, and for the most part, sending Jake to "magic school" was like him going to normal public school –he came home every afternoon, did his 'normal' homework with Ellie, and spent his evenings with his family. He had to practice his magic with Strange every weekend (and a good chunk of his summer and winter vacations), but it was worth it.

I had the feeling that, very soon, both of my children would be fighting to protect the world, using their wits and strength, and best of all, the determination to do what was right.

"Where's Nate?" Jake teased, wiggling his eyebrows. This earned him a glare and a smack on the shoulder from his big sister.

"Visiting his parents," she muttered in reply. "Aunt Nat said he'd passed his intensity training, so she let him have some time off."

A firm hand on my arm held me back as my kids walked on. After more than 20 years together, I knew that something was bothering my husband.

"Nate?" he whispered. "As in, Nathaniel _Barton_?"

It was a topic that I'd avoided bringing up. For a man who was usually very skilled at observing things, this had managed to slip by him only because Ellie and Nate had been _very_ good at hiding their feelings whenever Steve was around.

I sighed. "They've been dating for a while, Steve. Ellie didn't want you freaking out about it, so they kept it quiet until they felt ready to tell you. Everyone else has been pretty good at accepting it, but we all know how protective you can be over your little girl."

"I'm not _that_ overprotective!" he protested, giving me his sad, pouting, puppy-dog face.

"What about that little boy who tried to kiss her in first grade?" I asked, lifting a hand to keep count. "Then there was the boy who wanted to take her for ice cream after the school play in sixth grade; the saxophone player who asked her to the homecoming dance her freshman year of high school. And let's not forget how convinced Scott Lang to use his Ant Man suit to track her _every move_ during that Valentine's dance her junior year. You even gave him permission to punch the poor boy if he tried anything with her!"

"Hey, that was entirely necessary!" Steve protested. "I saw the look in his eye, when Ellie wore that blue dress Natasha picked out!"

' _Even after all this time, he still refuses to believe that_ _ **I**_ _picked the dress out, and not Natasha_ ,' I thought in amusement. It was a beautiful dress, though, and Ellie still had it, though she'd long outgrown it.

"Steve, you can't keep doing this," I gently reminded him. "Besides, you _know_ Nate. He's a good boy, and he's an Avenger. Trust that Clint and Laura did their jobs as parents, and that since Ellie trusts him with her life, it's only fitting she also trusts him with her heart."

Lucky for me, Steve knew when to yield to a good argument. He threw his hands up in surrender, and rolled his eyes as we caught up with our two kids. With them was Jamie Barnes, who was the exact image of his dad, and was looking quite dashing in a black suit.

"Jamie," I cried, rushing to hug my godson. "When did you get back from Wakanda?"

He grinned and hugged me back. "A couple days ago. I had to visit Mom and Dad first –you know Mom would never forgive me if I didn't!"

Steve chuckled and accepted his own hug. "How did you manage to pull yourself away from all the tech toys they've got?" he teased. "I hope you're prepped for the usual questioning from Tony!"

Jamie responded with a wink and a grin before going to join his cousins.

To everyone's surprise, Jamie was (in his own words) a huge tech geek. Since he had some of the HYDRA Super-Serum in him, Bucky had wondered if his son would take after him, and become a soldier. In fact, _everyone_ thought the younger Barnes would follow in his father's footsteps, like Ellie had with Steve.

Instead, we were all amazed when, at the age of 5, Jamie began to pick up technology at a fairly rapid pace.

Since Tony was the kids' Most Awesome Teacher of Tech' (a title he'd given himself, to Pepper's annoyance), he had noticed this, and taken Jamie under his wing almost immediately.

Over the years, the two spent every school vacation together, tinkering in Tony's workshop in New York and at Avengers Base. When Jamie turned twelve, Tony had presented his protégé with his own workshops, complete with all the tools he'd ever need.

Then, just after Jamie's sixteenth birthday, T'Challa insisted on having him travel to Wakanda, to study _their_ technology. The King's sister, Princess Shuri, was the head of his tech department, and both of them wanted a pair of young eyes they could trust. By that time, the world had discovered that Wakandan technology was more advanced than even Tony Stark's, and they wanted a piece of it. Right now, Jamie was the only one who was trusted by not only the Wakandan government, but also the UN, to not only learn the tech, but to make some of it compatible for global use.

"Nothing complicated," Jamie had told me. "Just cell phones, for communication, and social media apps. You know, stuff the young people buy and use. I swear, the money they spend on apps keeps the global markets going."

He had been doing very well over there, but on his last trip back, Jamie had decided it was time to come home to be with his friends and family.

Of course, it was clear who was going to be the 'brains' behind the Avengers team, which thrilled Tony to no end. His 16-year-old daughter, Emily, was interning to be a librarian at the Library of Congress, and she had no desire to go into the superhero business (or the Stark Industry business).

"I'm still proud of her, though," Tony said, beaming with pride whenever Emily sent him a photo of herself standing inside the beautiful building where she worked. "I'd kind of hoped she'd go into modeling, since she's got Pepper's looks, but the girl loves her books and studying all that old history stuff. If she's found her passion, why should I to say 'no'?"

It also helped that Emily had Tony wrapped around her finger, so it probably hadn't been hard for her to convince him to let her pursue her passions.

"I've got high hopes for them," said a voice behind me.

Turning, I grinned. "You always have high hopes, Peter. You'll always be the optimistic one in the group."

He shrugged, a small smile on his lips as he blushed at my compliment. "It's what I do. Um, when you get a chance, send our young tech genius upstairs? I've got a little issue going on with my suit. I think it was damaged during our last fight."

Steve gave him a small salute before we headed down the hall, towards the dining area. I heard glasses being clanked together in celebration of the new team members, and 'welcome back' being directed towards Jamie, who was already chatting with Jake about science versus magic.

I felt Steve put an arm around my shoulder, and happily leaned into him. "We did a good job, didn't we?" I whispered.

He chuckled and kissed the top of my head. "We sure did."

* * *

AN: The end!

Review?


End file.
